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
Proposals under this topic will focus on innovation actions in protection, conservation and enhancement of the EU’s blue natural capital that have the potential to be up scaled and reproduced at European level and beyond. Proposals will develop a strategic approach towards identifying needs, sharing innovation and transferring solutions between initiatives to create well managed marine protected areas.
Detailed Call Description
Proposals are expected to focus on marine biodiversity hot spots and enable ecological corridors leading to a truly coherent and resilient blue Trans-European Nature Network, and promoting and supporting investments in infrastructure that “builds with nature”.
Projects will test and demonstrate novel methods, business models with revenue streams, social innovation to enable flexible socio-ecological management of protected areas to cope with a rapidly changing environment for coastal, offshore and deep-sea marine ecosystems, taking into account their connectivity and the need to preserve their inherent natural dynamics. Management and governance will ensure the sustainability of aquatic ecosystem protection initiatives. The proposals will duly consider national, local and regional protection and restoration initiatives, including relevant activities carried out under Regional Sea Conventions, to ensure effective management and governance of such initiatives and facilitate dialogue with all relevant stakeholders and show options to link such initiatives in a mutually supportive network.
The action should not be limited to specific areas, but rather be a large-scale activity that supports, inter alia, also the implementation of marine protected areas (MPAs). The proposed innovation actions for the Blue Parks will focus on the best-suited and most effective protection that will enable conservation and restauration, as per the biogeographical area or marine region. Identification of the best suited areas for marine protected areas under strict protection would be welcomed. Priority should be given not only to the protection of coastal biogenic habitat based carbon-rich ecosystems, but also of pelagic and benthic ecosystems, which have a more extensive coverage and therefore can provide a significant contribution restore ecosystem processes and functions including to mitigate climate change. Such ecosystems have inherent capacity to store carbon, but may also need to be protected to avoid the release to the atmosphere of the carbon that they currently store.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
70%
EU contribution per project: €8,50 million
Thematic Categories
- Environment and Climate Change
- Fisheries/ Aquaculture and Maritime Policy
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Fishermen, Aquaculturists, Owners of Vessels
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia
P.O.Box 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Phone Number: +357 22205000
Email Address: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Mr Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Contact Phone: +357 22 205 029
Contact Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy
Mr George Christou
Scientific Officer
Contact Phone: +357 22 205 030
Contact Email: gchristou@research.org.cy
Dr Angelos Ntantos
Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205033
Email: antantos@research.org.cy
Dr Ioannis Theodorou
Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205038
Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy
(Publish Date: 03/01/2022-for internal use only)
EU Contact Point
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact