Representatives of the Meteorological Synthesizing Centre – East (MSC-E), Dr. Isabel Garcia Arevalo and Dr. Viktória Koncz, participated in the 39th Task Force Meeting of the UNECE International Cooperative Programme (ICP) on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops (ICP Vegetation), held in Rome, Italy, 17-19 February, 2026. The meeting brought together researchers and policymakers to discuss monitoring of ozone, microplastics, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), as well as their effects on vegetation across Europe.

MSC-E researcher Isabel Garcia Arevalo presented a study entitled “Bridging Modelling and Moss Biomonitoring: Species-Specific Source Attribution of PAHs Across European Countries.” The work, which integrates GLEMOS atmospheric modelling with moss biomonitoring data, received positive feedback from the scientific community. As a direct outcome, she was invited to act as lead author of an official ICP Vegetation document on mosses as PAH bioindicators – an important step towards securing dedicated funding and strengthening the role of PAHs in national moss survey programmes.

The meeting reinforced the ongoing partnership between MSC-E and ICP Vegetation in supporting model validation and improving assessment accuracy. In addition, participants from several countries expressed strong interest in country-specific data sharing and case studies related to heavy metals and mosses.

The active participation of MSC-E in the Task Force meeting highlights the Centre’s growing role in European air pollution monitoring and its commitment to supporting science-based policy development.