Large-scale demonstration of protection, restoration and management of blue forest ecosystems in European sea basins

Expected Outcome:

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

• Increased area and improved condition of marine and coastal vegetated habitats within EU waters through effective on-site conservation, restoration and management of activities to help deliver on the objectives of the Nature Restoration Regulation;
• Maintained and enhanced capacity of blue carbon ecosystems to naturally store carbon, supporting EU climate mitigation goals;
• Enhanced capacity of marine vegetated habitats/blue carbon ecosystems to support biodiversity and fisheries;
• Established novel financing and incentive mechanisms that support conservation, restoration and management of blue forest ecosystems projects;
• Raised public awareness and improved community participation in blue forest ecosystems protection, restoration and management activities, ensuring long-term involvement.

Scope:

This topic seeks innovative multidisciplinary projects that will advance large-scale demonstration of protection, restoration and management of blue forest ecosystems, focusing on the assessment of ecological interactions, restoration of degraded ecosystems, conservation, and sustainable management within European sea basins. Projects are required to develop collaborations with EU Member States and Associated Countries national and regional agencies and authorities and policy makers and engage with local communities, researchers and NGOs. The direct involvement of relevant authorities and stakeholders in the consortium is strongly encouraged.

Proposals should target the development and implementation of comprehensive strategies that integrate blue carbon ecosystems into marine biodiversity frameworks, in particular in the implementation of the national restoration plans under the Nature Restoration Regulation.

Proposals are expected to show how their activities and results will help achieve the Mission’s objectives and targets. Each proposal should address only one basin / Mission “lighthouse”, which should be explicitly stated in the proposal, i.e.: 1. Atlantic and Arctic sea basin or 2. Mediterranean Sea basin or 3. Baltic and North Sea basin or 4. Danube River basin (including the Black Sea). Activities should be tailored to address regional/sea basin specificities. The basins / Mission “lighthouses” include the river basins flowing into the respective sea basins.

Proposals should address all of the following:

• Protection and restoration activities: Initiatives aiming to restore ecologically relevant, degraded marine and coastal habitats and species, through improving the condition of vegetated habitats and their re-establishment, in accordance with the requirements of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation. Projects should rely on active restoration (e.g. replanting, re-establishment of habitats, Invasive Alien Species prevention ) or passive restoration (e.g. removal of environmental pressures).Conservation Efforts: Enhancing the protection of blue carbon habitats by supporting authorities to establish and effectively manage marine protected areas (MPAs)/ EU Blue Parks, implementing the necessary regulatory measures to enable their effective restoration and prevent their degradation.
• Innovative Financing Mechanisms: Exploring innovative financing mechanisms that combine public and private funding, as well as innovative business models for the conservation, restoration and protection of blue carbon ecosystems. Projects aiming to protect, restore and sustainably manage marine ecosystems should explore and scientifically assess the viability, soundness and integrity of innovative business models and financing mechanisms (e.g. nature credits, carbon removal certification, etc.) for their protection, restoration and management, and assess their potential for sustainable development and resilience of EU coastal communities.
• Research and Monitoring: Assess the cumulative impact of stressors (including Invasive Alien Species and climate change) on the condition of habitats and species and inform the design of necessary protection and restoration measures, using multi-sensor platforms for the long-term monitoring of habitat conditions and ecosystem health, of the restoration success and of the impacts on ecosystems and the services they provide, including natural carbon sequestration potential. Projects should also ensure the continuity of ecological monitoring beyond project duration, embedding effective restoration efforts into long-term observation networks, such as EMODnet.
• Community Engagement and Education: Initiatives and actions that promote local community involvement and awareness through educational programs and stakeholders' engagement to ensure upscaling and replication.

Projects should build on the best available actionable knowledge, methods and innovations notably from the results of previous national and EU projects. Projects should involve or align with organizations that provide cross-national and regional scientific coordination and advice on fisheries and ecosystem-based management, to support participatory monitoring, data harmonization and sustainable and inclusive co-management practices across sea basins.

Competent authorities and other stakeholders participating in the project are encouraged to pool and enhance synergies^[1] with other sources of funding (e.g. structural, cohesion funds such as ERDF, or LIFE) for implementing and deploying innovative solutions. Actions plans and roadmaps needed for the replication and up-scale of the solutions should be drawn up by the end and beyond projects' duration.

Proposals should establish operational links and cooperate with the relevant Lighthouse CSAs and the Mission Implementation Platform, notably to contribute to tracking progress towards the objectives of the Mission and coordination of all relevant implementation activities in the lighthouse basin.

This action aligns with key EU policies and initiatives, including:

• European Green Deal: Focuses on making the EU's economy sustainable through initiatives directed at marine ecosystem protection;
• EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Aims to restore marine and coastal habitats, acknowledging their role in carbon capture;
• EU Nature Restoration Regulation: Aims to restore EU ecosystems, including marine ecosystems, furthering blue carbon strategies;
• EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change: Emphasises natural carbon sinks’ protection, including coastal ecosystems;
• EU Global Gateway strategy: Sustainable and trusted connections to tackle the most pressing global challenges, from fighting climate change, to improving health systems, and boosting competitiveness and security of global supply chains;
• Common fisheries policy (CFP): Supports sustainable fisheries management, benefitting marine biodiversity and blue carbon habitats;
• Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Seeks Good Environmental Status of marine waters, indirectly supporting blue forestation;
• Birds and Habitats Directives: Aim to achieve favourable conservation status of habitat types and species, including through effective management of the Natura 2000 network.

[1] C(2022) 4747 final