EU project to rescue and protect oceans

Five EU Missions, a new endeavour by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, seek to support Europe’s transition to a greener, healthier, more inclusive, and resilient continent.

With the EU Missions the Commission has launched a new way of bringing concrete solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our society. e Missions have ambitious goals and aim to deliver tangible results by 2030. By rethinking research and innovation in a new setup, and combining new forms of governance, interdisciplinary collaboration and citizen engagement, they aim to deliver impact in our communities. EU Missions are launched as part of the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and is a new way of creating solutions to some of the greatest challenges.

e EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters (Mission Ocean) is one of ve EU Missions. e Mission Ocean and Waters aims to protect and restore the health of our ocean and waters through research and innovation, citizen engagement, and blue investments. e Mission’s new approach will address the ocean and waters as one and play a key role in achieving climate neutrality and restoring nature. e Mission Ocean and Waters does so by supporting the work within three main objectives, which are:

• To protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030.

• To prevent and eliminate pollution of our ocean, seas and waters, in line with the EU Action Plan Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water, and Soil.

• To make the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular, in line with the proposed European Climate Law and the holistic vision