CBSS hosts regional events on submerged munitions in the Baltic Sea

To advance regional and cross-sectoral cooperation on submerged munitions in the Baltic Sea, the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) hosted a series of events from 10 to 12 March 2026, addressing issues such as risk assessment, mapping, safe management and remediation.

"While submerged munitions are not a new issue for the Baltic Sea, the cost of inaction is increasing," said Gustav Lindström, Director General of the CBSS, at a seminar for policy stakeholders held at the CBSS Secretariat on Thursday.

During the seminar, participants were also briefed by leading scientists on what is currently known about submerged conventional and chemical munitions, the risks they pose to security, the environment and the Blue Economy, and the implications for future policy and coordination.

The three-day programme also included joint workshops under the EU-funded MUNIMAP and MUNI-RISK projects on submerged munitions, in which the CBSS is a partner, as well as a meeting of the HELCOM Expert Group on Submerged Munitions.

A dedicated session also highlighted experiences from Ukraine through the CBSS-funded SAFE-BS2BKS project, bringing valuable perspectives from the Black Sea into the regional exchange.

The events were attended by representatives of the Polish CBSS Presidency, ambassadors and senior officials from CBSS Member and Observer States, the European Commission and HELCOM, as well as experts from the MUNIMAP and MUNI-RISK projects.

An estimated 40,000 tonnes of chemical munitions from the Second World War, along with more than one million tonnes of unexploded ordnance (UXO), remain submerged in the Baltic Sea. Sea-dumped munitions risk releasing hazardous substances such as mustard gas and arsenic compounds, threatening the marine environment, human health and maritime activities.