With a 2030 target, the EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters" aims to protect and restore the health of our ocean and waters through research and innovation, citizen engagement and blue investments. The Mission’s new approach will address the ocean and waters as one and play a key role in achieving climate neutrality and restoring nature.

Cross-cutting enabling actions will support this objective, in particular broad public mobilisation and engagement and a digital ocean and water knowledge system, known as Digital Twin Ocean.

The Mission supports regional engagement and cooperation through area-based “lighthouses” in major sea/river basins: Atlantic-Arctic, Mediterranean Sea, Baltic-North Sea, and Danube-Black Sea. Mission lighthouses are sites to pilot, demonstrate, develop  and deploy the Mission activities across EU seas and river basins

Mission Charter

We are calling on Member States, regions and a wide range of stakeholders to endorse the Charter and pledge actions that will contribute to the successful implementation of the Mission and its lighthouses.

Please click below to endorse the Charter and pledge actions

Endorse the Charter

Action pledges submitted so far: interactive map

You can find funding opportunities on the Funding and Tenders Portal

The EU Mission Ocean and Waters’ online Portal is a one-stop-shop for stakeholders involved and interested in implementing the Mission Ocean and Waters.

You can:

• keep track of the Mission's progress toward its objectives
• follow the actions and activities across Mission Lighthouses
• find financial and investment opportunities related to the Mission
• access the Mission library to learn about and share innovative solutions for ocean and water restoration
• engage with citizens and stakeholders through outreach, dissemination and Mission events.

Visit the Mission portal

The European Commission has published a new Portfolio Analysis Report identifying over 800 EU-funded projects, from 16 EU funding programmes, contributing to the objectives of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”. The analysis has been performed with the assistance of 12 independent experts and the projects analysed belong to 16 EU funding programmes. The analysis has produced a Report and a Dashboard. The Dashboard allows users to interact with the data by visualising and filtering from general to more detailed information, according to specific interests.

For an easier use of the Dashboard, check the Quick Guide.

EU Missions are a new way to bring concrete solutions to some of our greatest challenges. They have ambitious goals and will deliver tangible results by 2030. 

They will deliver impact by putting research and innovation into a new role, combined with new forms of governance and collaboration, as well as by engaging citizens. 

EU Missions are a novelty of the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme for the years 2021-2027.

More information

• mission-oriented policy for Horizon Europe
• Horizon Europe
• co-design session on oceans mission at Research and Innovation Days (video)
• EU Missions info days 2022

Contact

EU-MISSION-OCEAN-AND-WATERSec [dot] europa [dot] eu (EU-MISSION-OCEAN-AND-WATERS[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)

Mission Newsletter

Keep up to date with the latest news on the Mission, as well as developments on Mission Charter Actions, the EU Blue Parks Community, and events by subscribing to our monthly newsletter

Official documents

Communication19 July 2023

EU Missions two years on: assessment of progress and way forward

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

English

(203.33 KB - HTML)

Download

Staff working document19 July 2023

EU Missions two years on: An assessment of progress in shaping the future we want and reporting on the review of Mission Areas and areas for institutionalised partnerships based on Articles 185 and 187 TFEU

Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions:
EU Missions two years on: assessment of progress and way forward.

English

(8.31 MB - HTML)

Download

Reports and studies

Reports of cases8 June 2023

Portfolio analysis, EU mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”

Analysis of a portfolio of projects financed by sixteen EU programmes contributing to the objectives and enablers of the mission ocean and waters. This report presents the results of the analysis of a portfolio of 841 EU projects - completed or ongoing - relevant to the EU Mission “Restore our Oceans and Waters by 2030”. 

English

(HTML)

Download

Communication material

Mission Board reports