The 12th Joint Session of the EMEP Steering Body and the Working Group on Effects (WGE) took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 14 to 17 September 2026. At the session, the meeting reviewed and endorsed the main scientific results and reports produced by EMEP and the WGE in 2026 and provided guidance on future activities. Particular attention was given to scientific support for the revision of the Gothenburg Protocol, including the further development of emission scenarios, integrated assessment modelling, cost-benefit analysis, and ex-post analysis. The meeting also agreed on priorities for improving emission inventories, monitoring, and atmospheric modelling. In addition, it agreed on the EMEP budget for 2027 and discussed funding needs for scientific activities. The meeting also supported stronger integration of policies addressing air pollution, climate, the aquatic environment, and nature.
During the session, MSC-E reported on work related to heavy metals and POPs in 2026, outlining operational and research activities on emissions, monitoring, and modelling, as summarised in the annual EMEP Status Report 2026 prepared by MSC-E in collaboration with two other EMEP Centres – CCC and CEIP. The Centre also highlighted its research and development activities, including the assessment of trends in mercury pollution, the multi-pollutant effects of wildfires, Arctic pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pilot simulations of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and a country-scale assessment of PAH pollution in Slovenia and the Western Balkan countries. In addition, MSC-E reported on its ongoing collaboration with international bodies, including the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the regional marine commissions HELCOM and OSPAR, and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP).