Closing conference of the NETMIN project

The project “Forming of network for enhancing environmental protection from pollutants of mining cross border areas”), acronym NETMIN, eMS nr. RORS-308, implemented within the framework of the Interreg-IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Romania-Serbia Programme by Politehnica University Timisoara (Romania) and the Mining and Metallurgy Institute Bor (Serbia) has reached its final stage, the closing conference being organized on the 3rd of December 2020. The outcomes are impressive: 16 workshops organized alternatively in Romania and Serbia, two of which also accompanied by training sessions for young researchers, one cooperation agreement signed to create the education and research network, around 300 members joining the network, two plants tested for the bioremediation of the soils polluted with heavy metals, due to mining activities (barley and cup-plant), three scientific articles to share the results with the scientific community, over 7800 promotional materials including flyers and brochures disseminated to inform the target public in Romania regarding the results in the project, numerous media campaigns to keep the general public informed about the progress in identifying solutions to environmental challenges and encouraging the sustainable use of natural resources. However, the most valuable outcome of the project is the tightening of the cross-border relations and the complementarity achieved in joint scientific and research endeavors by experts from Timisoara (Romania) and Bor (Serbia). Also, local communities from the target area of the project were attracted into a network, to share experiences concerning available solutions for fighting the negative impact of mining activity on soils, as well as on the quality of environment and, ultimately, on human health.