The results of the international Erasmus+ Jean Monnet project EU_NITRA_UKR were presented to the scientific community of Ukraine

As part of the English for Scientists courses organized by the US Embassy in Ukraine, conducted by Dr. Courtney Orr, a lecturer at the Regional English Office of the US Embassy in Ukraine, a final scientific event was held with the participation of leading Ukrainian researchers. About 30 of the best scientists from leading universities and scientific institutions from different regions of Ukraine were selected to participate in the program, who presented the results of their own research and international projects in English.

Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Agrobiology, Associate Professor of the Department of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry and Water Quality Nadezhda PROKOPCHUK presented a report at the event entitled “35 Years of the EU Nitrates Directive: A Critical Review and Implementation Roadmap for Ukraine”.

The presentation presented the results of the international Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Module project "EU_NITRA_UKR - Nitrate Pollution Prevention for Health Environment: European Experience of the Nitrates Directive Implementation for a Ukrainian Circular Economy", which is being implemented at the Faculty of Agrobiology of the NUBiP of Ukraine.

The report combined the results of a meta-analysis of 35 years of experience in implementing the EU Nitrates Directive (1991–2026), modern challenges caused by the war in Ukraine, and practical approaches to implementing European environmental legislation through educational tools. Particular attention was paid to the key mechanisms for implementing the Directive: monitoring the quality of surface and groundwater, identifying Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs), introducing codes of good agricultural practice and action programs to prevent nitrate pollution.

The participants were presented with a comparative analysis of the implementation of the Nitrates Directive in the countries of the European Union and Ukraine. The example of Poland demonstrated that the effective implementation of the Directive's requirements is based not only on the relevant legislation, but primarily on the functioning of a modern monitoring system, the availability of sufficient data, effective state control and advisory support for farmers. At the same time, it was emphasized that the main challenge for Ukraine remains an insufficiently developed water resources monitoring system, which complicates the identification of areas vulnerable to nitrates and the assessment of the effectiveness of environmental protection measures.

A special emphasis was placed on new environmental risks caused by a full-scale war. Destroyed infrastructure, increased use of mine wells for drinking water supply and damage to drainage systems significantly increase the risks of groundwater pollution by nitrates, which requires increased monitoring and the implementation of modern approaches to water resources management.

The presentation also demonstrated how the international project EU_NITRA_UKR will contribute to the dissemination of European experience in Ukraine. In particular, the project involves training students, schoolchildren and teachers as "agents of change", popularizing the principles of the EU Nitrates Directive, conducting research on the quality of drinking water in communities, developing an ecological culture and forming practical skills to prevent nitrate pollution. The report aroused considerable interest and a lively professional discussion among the participants of the event. Scientists actively discussed the results of the project, current challenges in the implementation of the EU Nitrates Directive in Ukraine, prospects for the development of the environmental monitoring system and the role of international educational projects in the process of Ukraine's European integration. The participants unanimously noted the relevance of the presented topic, the practical value of the proposed implementation roadmap, and confirmed that the implementation of the EU_NITRA_UKR project is timely, extremely important, and has significant potential for the development of environmental education, protection of water resources, and Ukraine's approximation to European standards of sustainable development.