A hearing was held at the European Parliament in Brussels for Costas Kadis, the Cypriot candidate for Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans. Piotr Müller, a PiS MEP, took part in the discussion.
Piotr Müller pointed out that the Baltic Sea is a “ticking biological time bomb” in terms of its current ecological situation. “I’m talking here about current pollution and the decline in biodiversity, but it’s well known that there are many dangerous materials on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, such as conventional and chemical weapons, medicines, and radioactive substances that have remained there since World War II,” the MEP stated. He noted that in recent years, the European Commission has launched a pilot program to clean up the Baltic Sea, but this is “a drop in the bucket.” “Will you take steps to launch a long-term program to clean the Baltic Sea of this type of pollution?” asked the PiS MEP of Commissioner-designate Costas Kadis. He also wanted to know whether the European Commission would allocate funds for this purpose in the budget for future years.
Costas Kadis agreed with the Polish MEP that the Baltic Sea is the most polluted sea in the European Union. He noted that it is polluted with various substances, and that after World War II, incredible amounts of hazardous substances and materials were dumped there, posing a very serious threat to fisheries and the entire ecosystem. “We are committed to continuing our efforts to clean up this region, and because the threats are so diverse, we must rely on a range of parameters and coordinate these actions accordingly,” said the candidate for Commissioner for Fisheries and the Ocean. Costas Kadis also noted that efforts to improve the biological health of the Baltic Sea are a priority for the Commission, and approximately 25 million has been allocated to continue this work. “We are also ready to continue cooperating with the European Parliament to ensure that this goal is further pursued. This is one of the issues that will also be supported through new measures,” stated the Cypriot politician.
