A two-day training on Environmental and Human Health Risk Assessment of Chemicals in the EU – Principles and Regulatory Practices was held in hotel Ramada in Podgorica, Montenegro, 25–26 August 2025. The training was organized by the RECETOX Stockholm Convention Regional Centre in collaboration with the Centre for Eco-Toxicological Research (CETI), Montenegro in the framework of the GEF project on Update of the National Implementation Plan under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (GEF 10785).
The training brought together 22 in-person participants from expert institutions, academia, ministries, regulatory agencies, and national offices of international organizations of Montenegro and 7 online participants from national authorities in Croatia. Participation of early career researchers and national officials was supported and to facilitate the understanding and broader dissemination to relevant organizations, the training held in English was simultaneously interpreted into Montenegrin and recorded.
Led by RECETOX experts Prof. Luděk Bláha and Dr. Pavla Lakdawala, the training provided a comprehensive overview of the principles and regulatory frameworks guiding environmental and human health risk assessment of chemicals and also elaborated on relevant requirements set out within the European Union. Director of the SCRC Czech Republic, Kateřina Šebková provided the audience with linkages to the Stockholm Convention, relevant chemicals and risk assessment procedures applied. In the ensuing time of the very intense workshop the participants gained valuable insights into risk assessment processes, scientific approaches, and regulatory compliance, contributing to better decision-making and public health protection on pesticides, industrial chemicals, occupational exposure challenges and environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals.
The training also included discussions of several real-time Montenegrin case studies and hands-on exercises, allowing participants to apply the principles in practical, real-world contexts and cases.
This event was particularly significant in the context of Montenegro’s EU accession negotiations, supporting national efforts to align with EU environmental and public health standards and also contributed to the extension of capacities for elaboration of action plans for the updated National implementation Plan under the Stockholm Convention.
The EIRENE IMP project was officially launched during a two-day hybrid kick-off meeting held on 25–26 June 2026 at the Technology Centre Prague. The opening event brought together project partners, representatives of national nodes of the EIRENE RI research infrastructure, and project managers from the beneficiary and the European Commission.
