The 11th Joint Session of the EMEP Steering Body and the Working Group on Effects (WGE) took place in Geneva (Switzerland) from 15-18 September 2025. At this meeting, the EMEP Centres, Task Forces, and the WGE’s International Cooperative Programmes (ICPs) presented their recent and ongoing work and discussed the 2026-2027 workplan to support implementation of the Air Convention. Participants also considered ways to strengthen collaboration among the Air Convention’s subsidiary bodies and to expand outreach and cooperation with other international organisations.
During this session, MSC-E reported on work related to heavy metals and POPs, highlighting progress achieved in 2025. It outlined operational and research activities on emissions, monitoring, and modelling, as summarised in the annual EMEP Status Report 2025, prepared by MSC-E in collaboration with two other EMEP Centres: CEIP and CCC. The Centre also drew attention to research and development work, including analyses of heavy metal contamination during dust episodes, an integrated study of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) using moss biomonitoring in cooperation with ICP Vegetation, and long-term simulations of legacy POP cycling and accumulation in the environment. Particular emphasis was placed on a country-scale pilot project on PAHs in Slovenia and the Western Balkan countries. MSC-E further reported on ongoing collaboration with the Minamata Convention and the Marine Commissions regarding global mercury assessments and contamination of marine ecosystems. Finally, the Centre presented proposals for future work on heavy metals and POPs in the 2026-2027 workplan to support implementation of the Air Convention.