Progress report for
Establishing an EU-wide ‘Blue Parks’ initiative
Achievement at a glance
The European Blue Parks Community was established under the initiative. It is a platform that brings together EU Member States, national and regional authorities, European marine networks, stakeholders, and research to facilitate science-policy exchange and promote marine protection and restoration while reaching international and European targets to protect 30% and strictly protect 10% of EU sea areas by 2030. The community has now 100 active stakeholders' members.A support platform was created and is embedded in the Mission Ocean and Waters Implementation Platform. Three workshops were organised on enhancing and implementing effective management of Marine protected areas (MPAs).
Under the Horizon Europe R&I framework programme, the EU has, in the last four years, invested over EUR 460 million in research and innovative solutions for restoring the ocean and waters through the Mission Ocean and Waters, including through the EU Blue Parks dedicated calls.
Example of main projects funded under Horizon Europe for science-based identification of future MPAs:
- MPA Europe (Marine Protected Areas Europe, EUR 2,7 million, 01/01/2023 - 30/04/2026, 10 partners)
- MSP4BIO (Improved Science-Based Maritime Spatial Planning to Safeguard and Restore Biodiversity in a coherent European MPA network, EUR 3,5 million, 01/08/2022 - 31/07/2025, 18 partners)
- MarinePlan (Improved transdisciplinary science for effective ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning and conservation in European Seas, EUR 3,6 million, 01/10/2022 -30/09/2026, 17 partners)
Next Steps
Bénédicte CaremierBeneficiaries
The EU Blue Parks Community with emphasis on national, regional and local MPAs managers and authorities, scientific and academia, and socio-economic stakeholders.
Actions
The implementation of the support platform and the Horizon Europe topic calls to support both the Mission Ocean and Waters and the EU Blue Parks.The setting-up of an implementation platform to support the community, organisation of biannual workshops on themes related to MPA management and the EU Blue Parks Community