The OSCE Mission to Moldova, in co-operation with the public association EcoContact, held a public discussion on the management of dangerous chemicals and the exchange of technical information among specialists in Tiraspol on 25 November. Held in a hybrid format, the event in Tiraspol brought together around 60 participants from academic institutions, research centres, specialised environmental organisations and civil society.
The presentations focused on technical aspects related to the management of waste containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), including the processes of collection, packaging, transport and final disposal, in line with the procedures set out under the Stockholm and Basel Conventions. Participants discussed the processes applied within the project and shared practical examples of the safe management of hazardous chemicals.
During the event, two videos produced under the OSCE project on eliminating hazardous chemicals were screened. They illustrate how approximately 265 tonnes of dangerous chemicals, including PCBs, were collected from ten locations on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River and transported, under safe conditions, to a certified hazardous waste incineration facility in Germany. The initiative, funded by OSCE participating States - the United States, Germany, Ireland and Norway - contributes to reducing environmental risks and strengthening co-operation among experts.
The event in Tiraspol is part of the extra-budgetary project "Removal and Disposal of Dangerous Chemicals from Moldova," funded by the United States, Germany, Norway, and Ireland and implemented by the OSCE Mission to Moldova in view of the efforts to promote co-operation, strengthen access to information and build local capacities in the field of chemical safety, benefitting communities on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River. A similar event took place in Chişinău on 11 November 2025.
