Horizon Europe: EUR 87.7 million available for actions under Oceans and Waters Missions call

Following the adoption of the Horizon Europe 2023-2024 work programme, the European Commission has launched a new call for project proposals to support research and innovation under the EU Mission: Restore our Oceans and Waters.

The total indicative budget available is EUR 87.7 million. The deadline for submissions is 20 September 2023 17:00 Brussels time. The call covers eleven topics:

• European Blue Parks – Protection and restoration of marine habitats (HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-01)
• Danube river basin lighthouse – Demonstration of effective and sustainable management of sediments in the Danube river-Black sea system (HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-02)
• Atlantic and Arctic sea basin lighthouse – Addressing climate change and human activities threats to marine biodiversity (HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-03)
• European natural lakes: demonstration of integrated approaches for protection and restoration of natural lake ecosystems and their biodiversity (HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-04)
• Lighthouse in the Baltic and the North Sea basins - Lighthouse in the Baltic and the North Sea basins - Green and energy-efficient small-scale fishing fleets (HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-05)
• Cross-basin topic - Innovative nature-inclusive concepts to reconcile offshore renewables with ocean protection (HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-06)
• Cross-basin topic - Analysis of the obstacles and opportunities for repurposing aged/unused offshore infrastructures (HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-07)
• Integration of socio-ecological models into the Digital Twin Ocean (HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-08)
• Roadmap towards the integration of inland waters into the Digital Twin Ocean (HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-09)
• Choose your fish: a campaign for responsible consumption of products from the sea (HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-10)
• Ocean & water and arts: the contribution of creative sectors to Mission Ocean and waters (HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-11)

Project results are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

• Enhanced implementation of the Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the EU Arctic policy;

• Technological, logistical, social and economic innovations to counteract marine biodiversity loss;

• Enhanced basin-scale cooperation in the Atlantic and Arctic, including through transition arrangements that create socially and economically sustainable propositions for local stakeholders;

• Enhanced implementation of the European Green Deal, the EU Adaptation Strategy^[1], Marine Strategy framework Directive, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy as well as the Galway Statement, the Belém Statement, the OSPAR Convention^[2] in connection with the implementation of EU marine environment, biodiversity and Arctic policies, the EU’s International Ocean Governance Agenda, the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0 with the aim to work for the benefit of all communities of stakeholders around the Atlantic and the Arctic Action Plan enhancing collaborative efforts to address the challenges in the Arctic;

• Active support to the Mission’s Digital Ocean and Water Knowledge system and knowledge cross-fertilization across EU sea basins;

• Better informed citizens and decision makers, for a better governance.

You can find all the information required, including the call text and application forms on the Funding and Tenders Portal using the call reference: HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01