Call 01 - single stage (2027)

This destination will mostly support the EU Commission priority ‘Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature’.

The implementation of the EU Green Deal^[1] will continue to guide R&I in this destination. R&I will develop knowledge and tools to support the implementation of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030^[2] and notably the EU Nature Restoration Regulation^[3], including with the development of nature credits as proposed in the Nature Credits Roadmap^[4]. This destination will also address the EU proposal for a Directive on soil monitoring and resilience^[5], the EU proposal for a Regulation on a forest monitoring framework^[6] and will inform deliberations on EU biodiversity policy after 2030, thus protecting our natural world. Nature-based Solutions are deep-rooted in this destination, which will support the EU climate adaptation strategy^[7] and the EU climate mitigation targets by maintaining or improving natural carbon sinks, since natural ecosystems store large amounts of carbon globally and ecosystems’ carbon sequestration potential is tightly linked to their biological diversity. R&I should particularly assess the ecosystems ongoing ability to sequester carbon and, if necessary, focus more on ecosystems that reliably do so while also providing benefits to biodiversity.

Actions will contribute to the European Ocean Pact^[8], to the European Water Resilience Strategy^[9] and to the EU legislative proposal on pollutants in EU waters^[10] (update of chemical substances listed for control).

R&I activities for sustainable farming, fishing and aquaculture will be supported in alignment with the Vision for Agriculture and Food^[11], the Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture towards 2040^[12], as well as with the environmental objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy^[13] and the EU Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production^[14]. These efforts will enhance biodiversity and climate-resilient farming practices, ensuring the long-term competitiveness of these sectors within ecological boundaries, and foster innovation to drive sustainable food production.

R&I actions under this destination will encourage international cooperation in line with the global approach on R&I, contributing to EU international biodiversity commitments, notably those taken under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)^[15], which defines targets for the medium term (2030) and goals for the long term (2050). This destination will also support the Paris Agreement^[16], the Sustainable Development Goals^[17] and the United Nations agreement on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement)^[18]. Support to processes of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)^[19] will be continued.

Complementarities and synergies will be ensured with the activities supported by the co-funded partnerships Biodiversa+^[20], Water4All^[21] and the co-funded partnership on Agroecology^[22], and LIFE^[23] projects, particularly on nature restoration and protection.

The destination supports unlocking the unique assets for research and innovation of the EU outermost regions, in line with the EU strategy for outermost regions^[24].

Expected impact: Proposals for topics under this destination should set out a credible pathway contributing to “putting biodiversity on a path to recovery, and protecting and restoring ecosystems and their services”, and more specifically to one or more of the following expected impacts:

• Knowledge on biodiversity status and trends and drivers of biodiversity loss is improved;
• Innovations, methods, pathways, models and tools are available and used to protect healthy and resilient ecosystems and to restore degraded ones, ensuring the continuous provision of ecosystem services, including for adaptation and/or mitigation to climate change;
• The ongoing biodiversity crisis and its consequences, notably on ecosystem functioning and their services, and the need to monitor, protect, restore and sustainably use biodiversity are better understood to better benefit the whole society in an inclusive way;
• Policymakers and stakeholders, all relevant economic sectors and society are aware and well informed of relevant challenges and opportunities of biodiversity protection, restoration and sustainable use, leading to better implementation of the biodiversity legislation and better valuation of ecosystem services, leading to transformative change towards a nature positive economy;
• Farmers, foresters, land and sea managers, fishers and aquaculture producers have access to key information, and test and implement biodiversity-friendly management practices, while safeguarding food and water security and fostering competitiveness, demonstrating the long-term sustainability of these sectors;
• Progress towards international commitments worldwide on biodiversity is made.

[1] The European Green Deal - European Commission

[2] Biodiversity strategy for 2030 - European Commission

[3] Regulation - EU - 2024/1991 - EN - EUR-Lex

[4] EUR-Lex - 52025DC0374 - EN - EUR-Lex

[5] EUR-Lex - 52023PC0416 - EN - EUR-Lex

[6] Proposal for a Regulation on a Forest Monitoring Framework - European Commission

[7] EU Adaptation Strategy - European Commission

[8] The European Ocean Pact - European Commission

[9] Water resilience strategy - European Commission

[10] EUR-Lex - 52022PC0540 - EN - EUR-Lex

[11] Vision for Agriculture and Food - European Commission

[12] EUR-Lex - 52025DC0075 - EN - EUR-Lex

[13] Key policy objectives of the CAP 2023-27 - European Commission

[14] Organic action plan - European Commission

[15] Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

[16] The Paris Agreement | UNFCCC

[17] THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development

[18] BBNJ Agreement | Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction

[19] IPBES Home page | IPBES secretariat

[20] Biodiversa +

[21] Water Security for the Planet

[22] Agroecology Partnership

[23] LIFE - European Commission

[24] COM(2022) Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU’s outermost regions

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

• effective scientific support is provided by the Science Service for Biodiversity to all levels of policymaking related to biodiversity, through the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD); in particular, the coordination of answering ad hoc policy requests related to biodiversity through the mobilisation of the EU-funded scientific community, in collaboration with the KCBD, is expected;
• enhanced science-policy support and knowledge transfer from EU-funded R&I projects to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are ensured;
• a strengthened, multi-stakeholder knowledge and dialogue platform promotes biodiversity knowledge and the uptake and scaling of nature-based solutions (NbS) including for nature protection and restoration across the EU and beyond, through active engagement with practitioners, developers, and decision-makers from science, policy, business, and civil society - at local, national, and international levels.

Scope:

The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 includes a science-policy mechanism and greater efforts to support the implementation of biodiversity commitments at EU and global levels. The strategy also explicitly calls for the use of NbS as a central component in addressing both biodiversity loss and climate change. In line with the Commission’s priority 'A global Europe’, the EU is demonstrating leadership in this field, notably by enhancing its support to the multilateral processes and platforms addressing the biodiversity crisis. This topic covers essential functions of the Science Service for Biodiversity, broader science-policy support for multiple actors in relation to the global IPBES and CBD processes, as well as support to collaborations and knowledge exchange specifically on NbS. The Science Service, linked to the KCBD, plays a critical role in supporting evidence-based decision making within the EU. In addition, the KCBD acts as one of the European Technical and Scientific Support Centres (TSCs) established under the CBD, which support knowledge transfer and capacity building to help CBD Parties implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

Proposals should:

• support the provision of a functional Science Service for Biodiversity, in close collaboration with the KCBD, acting as a one-stop-shop – a single-entry point for providing the overall support on evidence-based services (answering knowledge requests, tools, coordination, capacity building) that enable policymakers, other decision makers and stakeholders in Europe and beyond to ensure the protection, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity. Successful proposals should:
  • provide high-quality evidence-based responses to biodiversity-related policy requests submitted to the KCBD, by involving relevant researchers, particularly those from EU-funded projects. Proposals are expected to provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) to, for instance, involve relevant experts;
  • maintain and extend active knowledge exchange networks, including through capacity building, to strengthen the bridge between policy, science and society;
  • maintain, enrich and expand a set of Science Service tools, enabling all relevant actors to use and benefit from the best available biodiversity knowledge;
• strengthen the capacity of researchers and negotiators from the EU and Associated Countries to engage in IPBES and CBD processes. Successful proposals should:
  • provide scientific and back-office support to negotiators involved in these processes;
  • facilitate and support the engagement of researchers from the EU and Associated Countries in these processes. Proposals are expected to provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) to, for instance, involve relevant experts;
  • facilitate technical and scientific cooperation, knowledge transfer and networking between researchers, stakeholders, policymakers and other decision makers to enhance awareness and application of IPBES deliverables;
  • support the KCBD in its tasks as a European TSC mobilising and/or generating evidence and knowledge to implement the GBF.
• enhance and expand dynamic knowledge exchange mechanisms on NbS, coupled with targeted capacity-building initiatives, to reinforce the interface between policy, scientific research, business and societal engagement. Successful proposals should also:
  • ensure a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform on NbS serves to bridge science, policy, practice, and business, fostering the co-creation, dissemination, and uptake of research-based knowledge. This platform should play a key role in promoting policy coherence, encouraging collaborative action, and building capacity among Member States and Associated Countries, communities, and actors at all levels.

Successful proposals should support the new Commission policy priorities for 2024-2029 with a focus on “Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature”. This implies support to the implementation of the goals of the European Green Deal, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the GBF and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This requires interactions with IPBES, the CBD Secretariat, and the EC via the KCBD. Knowledge generated under this topic is also expected to inform deliberations on EU biodiversity policy after 2030.

Proposals should build on existing knowledge and the results of past and on-going projects, and foresee close collaboration with, and tailored support to the KCBD and its Science Service. The possible participation of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) in the project would facilitate this collaboration and support. Proposals should also foresee cooperation with the European Biodiversity Partnership (Biodiversa+) and its funded projects. Proposal aspects addressing the platform on NbS should build upon the foundations and outcomes of the NetworkNaturePLUS project.

Proposals are strongly encouraged to provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) to, for instance, respond to biodiversity-related policy requests or engage relevant expertise in IPBES and CBD processes. A maximum of 30% of the EU funding should be allocated to this purpose. Consortia need to define a fair and transparent selection process for third parties, for which financial support may be granted. Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the project will support the engagement of leading researchers from the EU and Associated Countries in IPBES and CBD processes.

The Plan for exploitation and dissemination should ensure the valorisation of available knowledge to policy makers, stakeholders and the public.