On behalf of SDK Dzimtene, on purging the Baltic Sea from chemical weapons 

After World War II approximately 13,000 tons of chemical warfare agents were dumped in the Baltic Sea. According to the petitioner, highly toxic substances are present in the Sea since then and endanger the Baltic countries and all marine species. The petitioner refers to experts, who point out that at any moment the Baltic Sea may turn into another Chernobyl. He further explains that metal in seawaters corrodes, and there for the poisonous chemicals endanger the life of people. Stable compounds of toxic substances in the human body can lead to more dangerous effects than radiation. Many areas of the Baltic Sea are traditional fishing grounds, and millions of tonnes of fish may eventually contain poisonous chemicals. The petitioner list the encapsulation of these weapons as an option, and at the same time believes that this cannot be done by individual countries; the underwater chemical arsenals threaten all countries in the Baltic Region. The petitioner believes that the cleaning of European waters needs the support of the whole EU. He calls the EU to provide urgent funding for the decontamination of the Baltic Sea in the spirit of the Paris Agreement and the European Commission priorities.