These measurements are at the basis of the fate assessment and serve also to survey the effectiveness of measures taken by policy makers and authorities. Today, the challenge is to provide this information in a reliable, quick and yet affordable way for a steadily growing number of chemicals, which we can detect in the various ecosystems.  

FATE supports the development and implementation of monitoring requirements in various key EU environmental policies  (e.g. Water Framework Directive, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Biowaste Directive, the Thematic Strategy for Soil) and international commitments (e.g. as stemming from the Stockholm Convention).

Improved use of data for integrated impact assessments would call for coherence of monitoring across policies (e.g. environmental, food, chemicals policies) in order to optimize use of resources for monitoring in Member States and streamline reporting obligations.

We maintain a considerable range of environmental measurement and monitoring capabilities and capacities. Our pan-European and pan-regional monitoring mechanism, on-site activities for chemical monitoring as well as exploratory research provide a important platform supporting the implementation of the European Research Area by working in close collaboration with institutions in Member States, thus actively promoting harmonisation of methods, development of standards and definition of best-practices.

This calls for a pragmatic and straightforward sharing of ideas, projects and results. To this end, we are organizing frequently joint monitoring exercises aiming at a pan-European level or addressing regional concerns (e.g. the Mediterranean area). Do you want to become a part of this process?

Our exercises are decided on an annual basis depending on subjects we consider of interest and supporting a specific EU-policy. You can participate in two distinct manners in our exercises.

• Providing access to sampling stations. Are you responsible for a water monitoring station, or a manager of a wastewater treatment plant, or a scientist interested in linking your own studies to a European context? Then contact us by email in the frame of ongoing campaigns regularly announced in this web site. 
• Are you a laboratory interested in a specific compound class and want to have a look at a European scale? We can share samples and results. Samples collected in an exercise are distributed between a number of laboratories bringing their competences and capacities together to extract as much information as possible from an environmental sample. For each campaign we are inviting participating laboratories to our side in order to agree on conclusions. Findings are exploited jointly also in terms of communication to the scientific community.

Interested? Check out our ACTIVITIES for more specific information or contact us directly.