Can we, as citizens, help shape the EU’s environmental policy?

Staff at the Slovenian Water Institute have contributed to a new scientific article based on citizen science research carried out as part of the Plastic Pirates project. The article focuses on involving the public in the process of the forthcoming revision of the Water Framework Directive, which could improve data collection, raise awareness and strengthen the general public’s participation in EU environmental policies.

The article, entitled ‘Public Participation in EU Legislation? Recommendations for Involving Citizen Scientists in Anthropogenic Litter Research Within the Water Framework Directive’, can be read via the link below:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70192

In Slovenia, more than 100 Slovenian schools took part in the project, with teachers and pupils actively contributing to data collection and the analysis of river pollution.

The ‘Plastic Pirates’ project is a prime example of how collaboration between researchers, schools and local communities can lead to concrete scientific discoveries that can influence long-term environmental protection policies.