The EU Mission Ocean and Waters signs the first cooperation working arrangement with an EU region

The European Commission welcomes this agreement with Emilia-Romagna, the first region to sign a Cooperation Working Arrangement with the EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters", and encourages other regions in EU Member States to follow the example.

Through this arrangement, the Directorate–General for Research and Innovation and the Emilia-Romagna region will work closely together. They will foster synergies by linking regional funding managed by Emilia-Romagna, such as those from the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund Plus, with the Mission Ocean and Waters work programme.

This non-binding framework for strategic cooperation highlights the shared commitment between Emilia-Romagna and the Commission to achieve the Mission’s key objectives on protecting and restoring marine and freshwater biodiversity and ecosystems, reducing pollution, and making the blue economy carbon-neutral and circular.