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Call key data

Danube river basin lighthouse – Protection and restoration of migratory fish habitats

Funding Program

EU Missions in Horizon Europe

Call number

HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-01-02

deadlines

Opening
23.04.2024

Deadline
18.09.2024 17:00

Funding rate

70% (NPO:100%)

Call budget

€ 15,600,000.00

Estimated EU contribution per project

€ 7,800,000.00

Link to the call

ec.europa.eu

Link to the submission

ec.europa.eu

Call content

short description

This topic will support the European Green Deal and the European Biodiversity Strategy, in particular its target of 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers, the Water Framework Directive, the Habitats Directive, the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) and contribute to the Mission’s objectives. 

Call objectives

Migratory fish species represent an economic and natural heritage of the Danube River Basin and are indicators of the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems, especially of the functionality of ecological corridors. The need for their conservation is recognised by the scientific community as well as at a high political and management level (EUSDR Action Plan - Priority Area 04 and 06).  

Proposals should build on and enhance the outcomes of the Interreg project MEASURES” and the WE PASS” Initiative set up by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), which provide knowledge and guidance for the design of effective measures and their subsequent demonstration at a river basin scale. Activities should contribute to river and habitat continuity, as well as the effect on water quality as addressed within the framework of the Danube River Basin Management Plan. 

The proposals should also build on research and innovation developed in the current and previous EU framework programmes, such as but not limited to Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe - Work Programme 2023-2024 Missions  (notably with projects selected under topics HORIZON-MISS-2021-OCEAN-02-02 and HORIZON-MISS-2021-OCEAN-02-04; HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-02; HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-02) and relevant LIFE projects, EMFAF/EMFF, EU monitoring programmes and national and regional programmes in the Danube river basin and its delta (e.g. Interreg, ERDF, EU Macroregional Strategies). 

Proposals under this topic are expected to show how their activities and results will achieve the Mission objective 1 - Protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity. Proposals should focus on the demonstration of sustainable and effective solutions for the enhancement of a protected network of critical habitats, involving relevant actors at a transnational/national scale and across relevant sectors, relevant national and regional authorities, riparian communities, landscape planners, ecologists as well as concerned economic actors, including fishers.

These demonstration activities should appropriately combine measures focused on habitat availability, accessibility and connectivity with measures for the protection and restoration of critical habitats, such as spawning, nursery, feeding and wintering grounds. Activities could also aim at removing pressures to enable natural recovery of fish habitats.  The scale and range of the area for demonstration activities should be ecologically relevant and impactful and based on the recommendations and results of the previously mentioned projects.

The measures should be tailored to the specific river section(s) and related habitats and should contribute to improving the good ecological status and ecosystem services provided by key river ecosystems and habitats. Nature-based solutions and building with nature should be prioritised. 

Training and communication activities addressing stakeholders, including regional and local authorities, as well as the ‘associated regions’, should be described in each proposal. Local actors, including where appropriate, the European Solidarity Corps and Mission Citizen Assemblies, should be involved in the demonstration activities. 

Projects funded under this topic should:  

  •  Show a significant replication potential by identifying areas and locations where the proposed solutions could be replicable. An action plan and roadmap needed for the replication and scale up of the solutions for fish habitat protection and restoration are expected to be drawn up by the end of the project; 
  • Include impact monitoring of the activities addressing fish habitats in the Danube River basin, including its delta, in cooperation with the Information System set up through previous projects such as MEASURES and relevant European Research Infrastructures. In addition, the project is expected to monitor the impacts and effectiveness of demonstration activities at a local scale. The project should link with the activities carried out under the Digital Twin Ocean, in particular those addressing freshwaters, and support data and knowledge sharing through the Ocean and Water Knowledge System, as well as benefiting from it to foster cross-region, pan-European approaches; 
  • Provide recommendations and guidance to align protection of migratory fish with regard to new policy measures and infrastructure projects and to strengthen cooperation across relevant sectors (water, navigation, fisheries, hydropower and energy, etc.). 

Projects are also expected to integrate actions to support the social and economic transitions towards sustainable, inclusive and long-term management of the restored and protected ecosystems, including natural, social, economic and cultural elements and business models for generating revenue from the restored and protected ecosystems and involve for that purpose local business communities, in particular SMEs, investors and other business stakeholders.  

The project funded under this topic should build links with:

  • other Mission activities and other relevant activities within the lighthouse and its area to maximize synergies as well as with other Mission lighthouses and their activities;  
  • the Mission implementation monitoring system that will be part of the Mission Implementation Platform and with the Danube River basin lighthouse support facility and platform, for reporting, monitoring and coordination of all relevant implementation activities in the lighthouse area as well as with the Blue Parks technical support platform;  
  • the activities of the ICPDR as well as with the national and regional authorities with competence in the area of fish habitat conservation and protection.  

To address the impact-driven approach of the Mission and the nature of Innovation Actions, projects are expected to work with and engage at least 5 ‘associated regions’ to showcase the feasibility, replicability and scalability of the solutions developed within the projects in other areas. The concept of ‘associated regions’ is implemented through Financial Support to Third Parties (see the Specific Conditions table for this topic). ‘Associated regions’ are understood as regions with ecosystems that can benefit from the demonstration activities and/or less-developed regions, with the need to build capacity to implement the innovative solutions to improve fish habitats. The projects should ensure that the 'associated regions' are not already involved in the demonstration sites covered by the projects. The partners should proactively reach out to the 'associated regions' to enable them to follow closely the project and its demonstration activities. The projects should continuously share their outcomes and knowledge with those ‘associated regions’ and provide them with technical assistance to build capacity and to implement sustainable, balanced and effective fish habitat protection and connectivity at a river basin scale in their territory that contribute to achieving the Mission objectives. Proposals must outline the selection process of the third parties to which financial support would be granted based on principles of transparency, objectivity and fairness, in accordance with part B of the general annexes to this work programme.

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Expected results

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

  • The implementation of the European Green Deal, the Biodiversity Strategy, the Water Framework and Habitat Directives, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and policies that concern freshwater ecosystem protection, in particular to the implementation of the Updated River Basin Management Plan for Danube 2021; 
  • Demonstrated sustainable and effective solutions ; 
  • Improved protection and management of migratory fish species in the Danube River Basin and its delta, with a focus on endangered species of high significance for the ecosystem or for local communities; 
  • Measurable improvements in protecting and restoring critical fish habitats, their availability, accessibility and connectivity within the Danube River basin and its delta; 
  • Improved transnational and trans-sectoral cooperation between national/local authorities and other actors involved in fish habitat protection and restoration; 
  • Evidence to support the implementation of River Basin Management Plans addressing the needs of migratory fishes; 
  • Active support to the Mission’s Digital Ocean and Water Knowledge system through advances in knowledge related to freshwater dimension. 

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Eligibility Criteria

Regions / countries for funding

EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan), Belarus (Беларусь), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom

eligible entities

Education and training institution, International organization, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)

Mandatory partnership

Yes

Project Partnership

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:

  • the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
  • the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
  • third countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries

Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:

  • at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
  • at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.

Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.

A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.

Specific cases:

  • Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
  • Associated partners — Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
  • Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
  • EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
  • Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
  • Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.

other eligibility criteria

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5-7 by the end of the project.

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).

In addition to the standard eligibility conditions, the consortium must include as beneficiaries legal entities established in at least three Member States and/or Associated Countries of the Danube River basin (including its delta) in which demonstration activities will be taking place.

Beneficiaries will be subject to the following additional obligations regarding open science practices: if projects collect in-situ data and marine observations, beneficiaries must make them openly available through the European Marine Observation and Data network (EMODnet), based on FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) principles. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The concept of ‘Associated regions’ is implemented through Financial Support to Third Parties, according to the following conditions. The support to Third Parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The Financial Support to Third Parties may only be awarded to local and/or regional authorities located in Member States/Associated Countries. The maximum amount to be granted to each Third Party is EUR 100,000, to showcase the feasibility, replicability and scalability of the solutions developed within the project in the ‘associated region’. The Financial Support to a Third Party is provided only once for the entire duration of the project. Only one grant to a Third Party is awarded per 'Associated Region'.

Additional information

Topics

Air Quality, Biodiversity & Environment, Climate & Climate Change, Water quality & management

Relevance for EU Macro-Region

EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region

UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)

Additional Information

All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.

Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.

The application form will have two parts:

  • Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
  • Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.

Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).

The limit for a full application (Part B) is 45 pages.

Call documents

Horizon Missions 2023-2024Horizon Missions 2023-2024(2860kB)

Contact

EU Missions in Horizon Europe
RTD-HORIZON-EUROPE-MISSIONS@ec.europa.eu
Website

National Contact Points for Horizon Europe
Website

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