Registrations have officially opened for the inaugural European Zero Pollution Forum, set to take place in Brussels on December 7, 2026. The event, co-organized by the European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions, marks a pivotal shift in the EU’s environmental strategy, moving from broad policy ambition to concrete, cross-sectoral implementation.
The announcement was made on September 22 by Jessika Roswall, the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy, during a meeting of the renewed Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform. Addressing attendees, Commissioner Roswall emphasized that the path toward a cleaner environment is inextricably linked to the continent’s economic future.
“The transition to zero pollution will not be delivered by declarations alone,” Roswall stated. “It will be delivered by better implementation, better cooperation, better evidence, and better choices.” By framing zero pollution as a cornerstone of “competitiveness,” the Commission is positioning environmental health as a driver of resilience, innovation, and long-term economic strength rather than a bureaucratic burden.
The renewed Platform, which features an expanded membership base, is designed to serve as a catalyst for practical collaboration. It brings together a diverse array of stakeholders, including representatives from public authorities, the private sector, civil society, research institutions, and regional governments. Their collective mandate is to tackle the systemic challenges of air, water, ocean, and soil pollution through integrated solutions.
A key theme of the current phase of the Platform is the “polluter pays” principle, a concept strongly advocated by Henna Partanen, the newly appointed co-chair of the Platform and a member of the European Committee of the Regions. “If the polluter does not pay, often it is the local community that has to pick up the bill,” Partanen noted, highlighting the necessity of ensuring that regional and local authorities are equipped to manage the costs and consequences of pollution.
The discussions leading up to the December Forum are centered on the logistical and financial hurdles of the Zero Pollution Action Plan. Priorities include the mobilization of private capital, the digitalization of the water sector, the closing of the green skills gap, and the effective use of research and LIFE projects to foster innovation. These discussions are further informed by the mid-term review of the Zero Pollution Action Plan, which provides the necessary policy framework for the current phase of work.
The December 7 Forum is intended to serve as a showcase for these efforts. Organizers plan to highlight success stories from across Europe, demonstrating how local and regional projects can be scaled to meet EU-wide objectives. The event will also offer a “sneak preview” of the forthcoming 3rd Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook, a comprehensive report being developed by the European Environment Agency and the Joint Research Centre.
Beyond the Forum itself, the initiative is working in tandem with the newly launched Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform. By aligning these two entities, the Commission aims to create synergies that address water, soil, and atmospheric health as interconnected systems rather than isolated environmental issues.
For organizations interested in contributing to this effort, the European Commission has opened applications for both event attendance and exhibition space. Businesses, research bodies, and public authorities are encouraged to submit their innovative solutions for display at the Brussels event, providing a platform for technologies and practices that could define the next stage of Europe’s journey toward a pollution-free future.
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