Horizon Europe 2026-27: EU Missions - Restore our Ocean and Waters

This Mission tackles one of our most pressing challenges-restoring the health of the ocean, seas, and inland waters-by 2030. Through research and innovation, public engagement, and targeted blue investments, this Mission takes a systemic approach to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, prevent and eliminate pollution of our ocean, seas and waters, and make the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular. The Mission operates through area-based lighthouses in major sea and river basins: Atlantic-Arctic, Mediterranean Sea, Baltic-North Sea, and Danube-Black Sea. These lighthouses are living labs for demonstrating, deploying and scaling up solutions. The Mission includes multiple funding calls across 2026 and 2027 focusing on topics such as marine habitat mapping, aquatic pollution solutions, co-management of marine ecosystems, ocean technology testing sites, digital twin ocean development, coastal resilience to climate change, seafood supply chain circularity, green harbours, sustainable tourism, and blue forest ecosystem restoration.