Large-scale demonstration for mapping the distribution and condition of marine habitats to implement the Nature Restoration Regulation

Expected Outcome:

This topic aims at directly engaging and supporting relevant public authorities with mapping at large scale the conditions of marine habitats needed for implementing the Nature Restoration Regulation and for achieving one or several objectives of the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters^[1]. The direct involvement of relevant authorities and stakeholders in the consortium is strongly encouraged.

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

• Member States have the capacity and access to tried and tested solutions to complete the mapping of the distribution and condition of coastal and marine habitats listed in Annex II of the Nature Restoration Regulation^[2] (NRR) in the waters under their jurisdiction, which is needed to fulfil the obligations under Article 5 of the NRR within the deadlines, and obligations under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the Birds and Habitats Directive (BHD);
• Substantial areas of habitats have been mapped and their condition assessed. Priority should be given to Groups 1-6 of Annex II, followed by Group 7 of Annex II ^[3], in line with applicable deadlines;

Member States have the capacity to determine priority areas for restoring marine habitats, and to prepare, update and implement their national restoration plans under the NRR, also contributing to the implementation of marine strategies under the MSFD and obligations under the BHD.

Scope:

In line with the objectives and targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Nature Restoration Regulation targets (in particular those set for 2030), the Birds and Habitats Directives, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and relevant national strategies contributing to these objectives, proposals should:

• Leverage and integrate the best available operational knowledge, technologies and tools, including those delivered by projects from Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, to meet the EU Biodiversity strategy goals and targets and facilitate the preparation of national restoration plans by addressing the gaps in monitoring and mapping capabilities for marine habitats in the 22 coastal Member States;
• Test and demonstrate in situ the best methods and tools for large-scale cost-effective and comprehensive mapping and monitoring of EUNIS marine habitats covered by the NRR, giving priority to Groups 1-6 in Annex II of the NRR, followed by Group 7 of Annex II. The areas mapped should correspond to the needs and requirements of the NRR and corresponding targets. The project should consider regional specificities and build on the methods developed under the MSFD and BHD, relevant Commission’s guidance documents and the work ongoing under the LIFE MAPPER project^[4];
• Implement demonstration activities in at least 4 large areas in one of the Mission basin-scale lighthouses, showing the scalability and replicability of the tools and methods. The demonstration areas should fill gaps in the geographical coverage of mapping marine habitats, assessing and monitoring their condition, taking into consideration the need to address regional specificities. Demonstration activities should strongly and directly involve relevant authorities;
• Develop, together with relevant national authorities and organisations responsible for marine environmental protection in the EU marine regions, a blueprint for the further upscaling and deployment of demonstrated approaches. The blueprint should aim at enhancing the capacity of Member States and Associated countries to complete the mapping, long-term observation and monitoring systems of marine habitats and ensuring that the mapping and restoration measures are continuously evaluated and adapted, based on updated, high-quality ecological data;
• Contribute to data collection and data sharing through the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) and to support the Digital Twin Ocean.

Each proposal should address only one basin-scale 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 basin-scale Mission “lighthouses” include the river basins flowing into the respective sea basins.

Projects are expected to build on the best available actionable knowledge, methods and innovations notably from the results of national and EU-funded projects. Where relevant, projects should build on and link with the ongoing work on marine habitat assessments under regional sea conventions. Applicants are encouraged to make use of relevant EU digital infrastructures, such as the EU Digital Twin Ocean, Copernicus and EMODnet.

Projects are expected to show a significant replication potential across the EU by directly involving relevant authorities and stakeholders, by promoting collaborations between relevant authorities and other stakeholders facing similar challenges, and by identifying further stakeholders that could replicate the proposed solutions and approaches.

Competent authorities and other stakeholders participating in the project are encouraged to pool and enhance synergies^[5] with other sources of national, regional and European (e.g. structural, cohesion funds such as ERDF, or LIFE) funding for implementing and deploying innovative solutions.

Projects are expected to work with and engage at least 4 ‘associated regions’ (represented by local/regional authorities/public bodies) to show the effectiveness of solutions to increase resilience and develop a replication plan for its uptake in an ‘associated region’ and build capacity at local level. Beneficiaries may therefore provide Financial Support to Third Parties (see the Specific Conditions table for this topic). Projects should (1) proactively reach out to the 'associated regions' to enable them to follow closely the project’s activities, (2) continuously share their outcomes and knowledge with those ‘associated regions’ and (3) provide associated regions with technical assistance to build capacity and to implement in their territory the approaches developed by the project.

Proposals should establish operational links and cooperate with the relevant basin 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 supports the follow-up to the July 2023 Communication on EU Missions assessment.

[1] Mission Ocean and Waters Implementation Plan: Implementation Plans for the EU Missions - European Commission

[2] Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2024 on nature restoration and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869 (Text with EEA relevance) : Regulation - EU - 2024/1991 - EN - EUR-Lex

[3] The list below includes the marine habitat types referred to in Article 5(1) and (2), as well as seven groups of those habitat types, namely 1) seagrass beds, 2) macroalgal forests, 3) shellfish beds, 4) maerl beds, 5) sponge, coral and coralligenous beds, 6) vents and seeps and 7) soft sediments (not deeper than 1 000 metres of depth)

[4]

[5] C(2022) 4747 final