Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The use of bio-based products (e.g. food, feed, fibre, wood and biomass) by businesses and consumers in the EU has an impact on soil health globally.
However, this impact has been poorly studied and understood. The European Commission has developed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based framework to monitor the evolution of the overall environmental footprint of EU production and consumption and to compare it against planetary boundaries, the “EU Consumption Footprint Platform”.
However, this framework does not sufficiently consider the specific impact on soil health and there is a need to enrich the existing indicators in terms of physical, chemical and biological soil properties.
Detailed Call Description
Proposed activities should:
- Develop and test a robust framework or tool (an EU Global Soil Footprint framework) to track, assess and establish a baseline for the global soil footprint of the EU demand for and import of bio-based products (e.g. food, feed, fibre, wood and biomass).
- Explore the positive and negative social, economic and environmental impacts of improved production systems elsewhere, including soil conservation and restoration actions, in their attempt to reduce the EU global footprint on soils.
- Bring forward policy recommendations aiming at minimising the EU’s global soil footprint. Identify obstacles and propose incentives for the uptake and scale-up of measures that can help reduce the EU’s global footprint.
- Carry out activities for communication and awareness raising on the EU’s global soil footprint and for the demonstration and dissemination of measures that can reduce the EU’s global soil footprint, in cooperation with international organisations such as UNCCD bodies, FAO or UNEP.
Cooperation with international partners is highly encouraged to engage a global network of experts in life-cycle analysis. In particular, the involvement of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) partners is encouraged, as this region encompasses more than 50% of the world biodiversity and is an important trading partner for the EU regarding bio-based products. In this sense, activities to be developed should be in line with the roadmap and action plan of the EU-CELAC Action Plan on Science, Technology and Innovation. Involvement of African partners is also encouraged.
When assessing the impact on soils, proposals should take into account the soil health indicators presented in the Mission Soil Implementation Plan and the soil descriptors in the proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
Expected EU contribution per project: €6.00 million.
Thematic Categories
- Economy-Finances
- Environment and Climate Change
- Other Services
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Financial Institutions
- International Organisations
- Legal Entities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
Address: 29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia, P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Mr. Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy
Mr. George Christou
Scientific Officer
Email: gchristou@research.org.cy