The Mission addresses the ocean and waters as one interconnected system and plays a key role in achieving climate neutrality and restoring nature, the European Commission said.
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The European Commission has announced €116 million in funding for 13 new projects designed to improve the health of the EU's oceans and waters.
The projects aim address a range of issues, from protecting endangered habitats to reducing the environmental impact of fisheries. The initiatives will be rolled out across several regions, including the Black Sea, Danube River, Baltic and North Seas, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic and Arctic areas.
The funding forms part of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, which was launched in 2021 under the Horizon Europe programme. The mission aims to restore the state of European waters by 2030 through research, innovation and community action.
Ocean monitoring, habitat restoration, sustainable fisheries, and community participation
Several projects focus on leading edge technologies in ocean monitoring and analysis, including SEAMPHONI, which will use environmental DNA (eDNA) and imaging technology to improve monitoring of offshore marine biodiversity, and EDITO2, which will expand the European Digital Twin Ocean, a virtual model of the ocean intended to help policymakers and researchers make informed decisions.
Several of the funded projects aim to make fishing more sustainable. ECO-CATCH is developing ten technologies, including AI-powered tools, to help reduce accidental bycatch. MarineGuardian will provide solutions for reducing the ecological impact of fisheries, including tools to improve data sharing and decision-making.
Community engagement and habitat restoration are other key themes. The project CS-MACH1 will build a European network for sharing citizen science data, while INSPIRI will combine science and art to encourage public involvement. Other initiatives, such as BlueActionBANOS and CO-WATERS, will help local communities take a leading role in conservation efforts by providing funding, training and technical support.
Meanwhile, DanubeLifelines, will focus on restoring migration routes for fish in the Danube River, and the project SWIM will work to restore habitats in both the Danube and Black Sea through sustainable practices.
The Commission described the investment as “a major step towards restoring the health of the ocean and waters – a key priority under the European Ocean Pact – and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come”. The selected projects were chosen following calls for proposals launched in 2024 and assessed by independent experts.
The funding is part of Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme, and supports the Mission’s goal of restoring ocean and water ecosystems by 2030. Launched in 2021, the initiative brings together science, citizen engagement and the sustainable blue economy, with regional “lighthouses” in major basins serving as testing grounds for new solutions.
