Progress report for
Restoring the ocean and waters by 2030 with seed funding
Achievement at a glance
As its 2023 assessment (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52023DC0457&qid=1693304388860) has shown, the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters (https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-our-ocean-and-waters_en) is on track and proceeding in line with its implementation plan (https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/download/d6162cbd-6d09-48fd-b5b4-d7d2be69972c_en?filename=ocean_and_waters_implementation_plan_final.pdf) towards its objective of protecting and restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems, preventing and eliminating pollution and making the blue economy carbon-neutral and circular. The Mission has been successful in mobilising a broad set of partners, programmes, and activities at Member State, regional, local as well as international level and in setting up the necessary structures for its delivery, incl. four basin-scale lighthouses in major European sea-basins and river basins, attracting more than 750 pledged actions from stakeholders under the Mission Charter with a budget of over EUR 11 billion, and setting up a European Blue Parks Community to accelerate progress towards the 30x30 target of MPAs. The Mission has met major deliverables such as the prototype European Digital Twin of the Ocean delivered in June 2024. Through Horizon Europe, the Mission is providing EUR 340 million funding from 2021-23 for 67 projects developing innovative solutions to restore the Ocean and waters, tested in 112 demo sites, and making this available to communities and regions throughout the Union. Moreover, the Mission is already starting to support the deployment of solutions, through collaborations with other programmes (e.g. EIB Blue Champions Scheme providing financial advisory services to 20 companies), with regions (e.g. cooperation working arrangements) and through and providing technical assistance and support package to communities.Next Steps
Benedicte CaremierBeneficiaries
• Public authorities at international, national, regional and local levels
• Fisheries and coastal communities
• Ports
• Islands
• Research and academia
• Businesses and SMEs
• Civil society organisations and citizens
Actions
Four lighthouses were established in 2022 for the Atlantic-Arctic, Baltic-North Sea, Danube & Black-Sea, and Mediterranean, including national hubs and several dedicated events.A Mission Implementation Platform portal is on-line since 2023, including services and information supporting the implementation of the Mission by stakeholders.
So far 67 projects from Horizon Europe Work Programmes 2021, 2022 and 2023 are up and running and one more from WP 2023 is about to start. Evaluation is ongoing for the seven topics under WP 2024. 112 demo sites selected/running already.
By September 2024, 52 Associated Regions have been selected for funding, and calls are on-going for an additional 26 regions. In addition, 159 European regional and local authorities are involved as beneficiaries, recipients of technical assistance or have endorsed the Mission Charter.
By September 2024, 665 actions have been accepted for the Mission Charter and published on the Maritime Forum. The Mission Charter includes endorsements from 15 Member States or national authorities, 66 actions from the fishing sector, 35 from the shipping sector and 30 from ports.
The Blue Parks community, a platform for EU Member State authorities, practitioners, researchers and other stakeholders to collaborate on marine protection to protect 30% and strictly protect 10% of EU sea areas by 2030, was established in 2022. The Blue Parks Community has gathered 84 organisations as members already.
The first prototype of the core infrastructure of the Digital Twin Ocean, EDITO, has been unveiled at the Digital Ocean Forum 2024 and is accessible to all: to explore the data in time and in space, or to create something with the data and tools available such as predict and assess the impact of climate scenarios, human activities, to inform decisions on different topics.
Support and technical assistance are provided to support the Mission communities (20 feasibility studies on-going and 30 more upcoming by beginning 2025; at least 80 transition agendas and 20 communities led pilot actions by 2025.
The Annual Mission Forum is being organised since 2023.
To support public participation, citizen engagement, ocean literacy and citizen science, many activities have been launched addressing different segment of our society: the young generations through the Blue Schools, the European Solidarity Corps and the EU4Ocean Coalition. In addition, 76 schools are receiving cascading grants for ocean and waters restoration actions.
A broad portfolio analysis of 12 EU programmes with 999 relevant projects has been carried out EU and independent experts which has resulted in an interactive dashboard for the Mission.
Synergies between Missions have been implemented through e.g. joint calls, joint events and webinars with the Missions Soil and Climate Adaptation and Climate-neutral Cities.
The pilot scheme ‘EU Blue Champions’ was launched end-2023, in collaboration with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and supported by the BlueInvest platform, which provide financial advisory to selected projects in the blue economy. 20 innovative projects have been identified, which have the potential to interest public or private finance providers and possibly qualify for an EIB financing.