A group of MEPs have called on Brussels to take action to tackle the issue of the chemical and conventional weapons laying dormant on the Baltic seabed.
“We express our deep concern about the threat that is still posed by chemical and conventional weapons sunk in the Baltic Sea after World War 2,” said 39 members of the European Parliament in a letter addressed to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The letter was initiated by Polish MEP Anna Fotyga, which was also signed by her four Lithuanian counterparts: Petras Auštrevičius, Aušra Maldeikienė, Juozas Olekas, and Andrius Kubilius.
“It is one of the main causes of pollution in the Baltic Sea, and one of the most dangerous, as the effects of corrosion and leaks go beyond the borders of one country, threaten health and security, with economic, social, health and environmental consequences,” the letter reads.
Earlier in March, the Ukrainian intelligence warned that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline being laid on the Baltic seabed may disrupt the chemical weapons discarded near Denmark’s Bornholm Island.
Read more: As 'dead zones' grow, can the Baltic Sea be saved?
To mitigate the risk, Russian officials have supplied the ships with atropine, a medication used to treat certain types of nerve agent poisonings. However, the risk remains due to the ships staying in position using anchors, the intelligence said, which may cause damage.
The MEPs did not mention the risks associated with the Nord Stream 2 works.
According to the letter, the EU should include funding in the upcoming multiannual budget to tackle the problem and initiate a plan on how to remove these weapons from the Baltic Sea.
Read more: EU moves to tackle Baltic Sea pollution
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