SCP/RAC organizes a regional training on Phasing out Single-Use Plastics in the Mediterranean under the WES project

• The regional training is organised in the framework of the EU-funded WES project.
• 4 webinars will be held between January –and February 2021 to identify, prioritize and operationalize targeted measures to tackle Single-Use Plastics (SUPs).
• They will contribute to the development of the Regional Guidelines on measures to tackle Single-Use Plastic items, developed by SCP/RAC

The first webinar on the problematic of single-use plastics was successfully delivered on the 13^th of January and representatives of the WES partners countries participated actively. The 2^nd webinar is programed on the 28^th of January and will explore potential responses and sound alternatives to SUPs.

The Regional training: 

SCP/RAC, in collaboration with MIO-ECSDE and Eunomia Research & Consulting  and in the framework of the EU-funded WES project, is conducting a Regional Training on Phasing out Single-Use Plastics that will be held in the form of a series of online webinars over four days between January and February 2021.

The main objective of the training is to strengthen the skills and capacities of the participants (policy staff from the Ministries of Environment, representatives of the productive sector (plastics producers, relevant association) and CSO representatives) to identify, prioritize and operationalize targeted measures to tackle Single-Use Plastics (SUPs).

It will enhance competences in terms of:

• Technical aspects of SUPs (definitions, types, pathways, impact, etc.)
• Analysis of baseline situation: production, consumption, leakage of SUPs into the environment, etc.
• Identification of SUPs of concern in each partner country
• Pros/cons of alternatives to SUPs
• Policy options to reduce and better manage SUPs
• Impact assessment of policy options
• Policy and decision-making based on sound scientific evidence

The on-line training will consist of 4 consecutive 2-hour webinars. The first webinar on the problematic of single-use plastics was successfully delivered on the 13^th of January.

The 2^nd webinar (28^th of January) will aim at exploring responses to SUPs while the 3^rd webinar (11^th February) will focus on the feasibility and impact of measures in the Mediterranean and the 4^th will close the training, looking at the implementation of measures and co-development of regional guidelines (25^th February).

This activity is being complemented by a peer-to-peer support program that started in October 2020 and will end in March 2021. Around 20 peers of partner countries are involved in direct exchange of experience between and among by sharing knowledge on challenges related to SUP in their respective countries, sharing expertise on solutions to manage and reduce SUP, boosting south-to-south (and north-to-south) cooperation, and building lasting relations and exchanges

Contributing to the development of the Regional Guidelines on measures to tackle Single-Use Plastic items

The webinars will contribute to the development of the Regional Guidelines on measures to tackle Single-Use Plastic items, developed by SCP/RAC as requested by the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (PoW 2021 – 2021).

Those guidelines will support the implementation of the Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management, currently under revision. The upgraded regional plan will be submitted for endorsement at the next Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP22) in December 2021.

In order to inform the guidelines, a baseline report on SUPs in the Mediterranean has been produced and will serve to build capacity of webinars participants’ stakeholders. Likewise, the WES training will serve to jointly define the scope of the guidelines and pinpoint key aspects to be included.

SCP/RAC has an official mandate from the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention to engage in international cooperation with Mediterranean countries on the prevention of plastic pollution, including marine litter and on the development and innovation in the business sector.

The WES project:

The EU funded Water and Environment Support Programme in the ENI Southern Neighbourhood (WES) is a regional programme that aims at protecting the common Mediterranean environment and improving the management of scarce water resources, by addressing critical Environmental and Water issues on which important regional political bodies such as the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Barcelona Convention (secretariat of which is the UN Environment/MAP) have developed policies and strategies to address them.

Under the WES project, SCPRAC provides tailored and targeted technical assistance at national level based on partners’ requests through an Expert Facility; organizes regional (or sub-regional) events, peer-to-peer seminars and webinars; conducts on-site training courses and study tours; and capitalizes on the lessons learnt, good practices and success stories.

Training Materials / presentations and deliverables from the training and the P2P are available here. 

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