Brussels is hosting the European Ocean Days this week, the main European gathering linked to the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, where policymakers, the scientific community and other stakeholders come together to advance sustainability and innovation in the oceans. Within this framework, members of the European project BlueActionAA, including the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN), are presenting the project and the funding opportunities that the European Union, through this initiative, offers to local communities involved in the restoration and resilience of marine and freshwater ecosystems.
One of the first working spaces where PLOCAN has been present is the BlueActionAA General Assembly (Boosting community-led actions in the Atlantic and Arctic).
BlueActionAA, funded by the Horizon Europe Programme, has a clear objective: to place local communities at the centre of climate action and the restoration of marine and freshwater ecosystems. It does so through a cascade funding mechanism that allows European funds to reach territories directly.
Currently, BlueActionAA has two open calls that allow access to European funding without the need to be part of large international consortia. The first is the Community-Led Pilot Actions call, aimed at pilot initiatives promoted by local consortia working on marine restoration, pollution reduction or a sustainable blue economy. The second is the Transition Agenda call, focused on defining priorities, lines of action and governance mechanisms to drive blue transition processes at territorial and sectoral level. Both calls will remain open until 29 May 2026.
These opportunities are particularly aimed at communities, associations, companies, public administrations and organisations that, although not usually present in the European arena, are developing initiatives aligned with the Mission Ocean and Waters.
“We want to encourage all organisations working on marine restoration, blue economy, pollution reduction or water resilience to review these calls. Many initiatives that are already underway or planned could perfectly be funded through BlueActionAA. The available webinars help explain how each project can fit within the European framework,” says Tania Montoto, BlueActionAA Project Manager at PLOCAN.
Those interested can find more information about the calls at: en https://blueactionaa.eu
A key week for the European strategy on oceans and waters
PLOCAN’s participation in the European Ocean Days will continue throughout the week with an active presence in strategic spaces linked to shaping future European policies on marine and maritime research and innovation.
These include consultations on the future European Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy and the European Water Resilience Research and Innovation Strategy, the event Together for Change: A Coalition to Empower Communities under the Mission Ocean and Waters, as well as the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” Forum and strategic meetings such as BlueInvest, the European initiative supporting investment in the blue economy.
In addition, PLOCAN will participate in multiple side events and bilateral meetings, which will help strengthen partnerships and explore new collaboration opportunities within the framework of the Mission.
