The authors would like to thank the European Commission and SRC (Sweden), BMBF (Germany), FORMAS (Sweden), IFD( Denmark), RCN (Norway), and UEFISCDI (Romania) for funding in the frame of the collaborative international consortium (Consortium acronym) financed under the 2020 AquaticPollutants Joint call of the AquaticPollutants ERA-NET Cofund (GA Nº 869178). This ERA-NET is an integral part of the activities developed by the Water, Oceans and AMR JPIs We will deliver the following: 1) Analytical protocols for a range of antibacterial biocides 2) Exposure levels in different aquatic matrices 3) Concentrations of biocides that are likely to co-select for antibiotic resistance and promote horizontal gene transfer 4) Identify predominant and novel genetic mechanisms for co- selection 5) An assessment of the risk that specific biocides in the water cycle promote antibiotic resistance 6) An up-to-date database (BacMet) useful for both research and risk management D. G. Joakim Larsson* 1,2 , Nachiket P. Marathe 3 , Frank Schreiber 4 , Mats Tysklind 5 , Barth Smets 6 , Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc 7 , Roman Grabic 8 1) Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe) at University of Gothenburg, Sweden; 2) Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden 3) Institute of Marine Research, contaminants and biohazards, Norway 4) Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Materials and Environment, Germany 5) Umeå University, Department of Chemistry, Sweden 6) Technical University of Denmark. Department of Environmental Engineering, Denmark 7) University of Bucharest, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, Life, Environmental and Earth Sciences Division, Romania 8) University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, Czech republic * coordinator, email: [email protected] BIOCIDE: Antibacterial biocides in the water cycle: an integrated approach to assess and manage risks for antibiotic resistance development Our aim is to determine how and to what extent antibacterial biocides contribute to the development and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria in different freshwater/marine ecosystems, and to inform and enable measures that ultimately protect human health and provide safe water resources for all. To follow progress, please visit our website: https://www.gu.se/en/biocide and follow us on twitter: https:// twitter.com/BIOCIDEresearch Expected impact: We will provide means to guide action both at the source (approval), and in other parts of the water cycle. Predicted No Effect Concentrations and new methodology will facilitate possible future inclusion in regulatory systems, in Europe and elsewhere. The maritime sector will receive guidance to improve sustainable transports by a better understanding of potential human health risks associated with the use of antifouling agents.