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Nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) pollution poses significant environmental and health challenges across the EU, impacting water quality, soil health, and biodiversity. The European Commissions funded 72 Horizon 2020 research and innovation projects, totaling EUR 428.5 million, aimed at tackling NP pollution, and compiled the results in the report “Systemic Approach Preventing Pollution from Nitrogen and Phosphrus: A contribution to the Integrated Nutrients Management Plan from the Research & Innovation perspective.”
Key Challenges: Excessive NP levels lead to eutrophication, groundwater contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions, threatening ecosystems and human health.
Project Themes: Projects are grouped into five themes: NP cycles, pollution reduction, fertilizers’ production, efficient agricultural use, and governance. They focus on understanding NP flows, developing sustainable practices, and enhancing governance frameworks.
Impact and Recommendations: Most projects show environmental and technological impacts, but limited social and policy impacts. Recommendations include incentivizing circular economy practices, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and aligning with EU directives like the Green Deal and Horizon Europe missions.
