International symposium of the LitOUTer Project Under Black Sea Basin Programme was held in Trabzon as hybrid

The international symposium for the project LitOUTER “Raising Public Awareness and Reducing Marine Litter for Protection of the Black Sea Ecosystem”  financed by the Cross-Border Cooperation Joint Operational Programme Black Sea Basin 2014-2020 Programme was held in Trabzon between 31 October- 2 November 2022.

LitOUTer project led  by Karadeniz Technical University and carried out by six partners of four participant countries (Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and Georgia), working to raise public awareness of the reduction of marine litter.

In addition to the representatives of relevant institutions and NGOs from the project partner countries Georgia, Romania and Bulgaria, representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of National Education, public institutions and organizations, municipalities, NGOs and the private sector participated in the international symposium.

Deputy Director-General for Financial Cooperation and Project Implementation, Directorate for EU Affairs Mr. Serdar Öztürk participated in the symposium as speaker. During his opening speech at the opening of the symposium he gavr brief information regarding the cross border cooperation programmes  National Authority of which is EU Affairs DIrectorate as well as 2021-2027 programming period funding opportunities.

In the symposium, the national and international results of the project activities (starting on 1 July 2020 and lasting 30 months), national and international studies on marine litter, studies of institutions and organizations on marine litter were announced and discussed, as well as future-oriented studies were shared.