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Call key data
Naturschutz: Bessere Methoden und Kenntnisse zur Verbesserung des Erhaltungszustands von EU-geschützten Arten und Lebensräumen
Funding Program
Horizon Europe - Cluster 6 - Destination 1: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Call number
HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-4
deadlines
Opening
22.12.2022
Deadline
28.03.2023 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 8,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 4,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
Call objectives
Proposals should address Area A or Area B as follows. The Area should be clearly indicated on the application.
Area A: Improving the conservation status of habitats and species protected under the Habitats and/or Birds Directive.
Successful proposals should:
- improve the definition of “favourable conservation status” of groups of habitats and/or species protected under the EU Birds and/or Habitats Directives, provide guidance on how to improve the monitoring of habitats and species and/or the setting of favourable reference values and favourable reference conditions in Member States. The focus of this work should be on data-deficient habitats and species, on habitats and species in the worst status (conservation status and/or EU Red list status), or with declining trends and/or on those species the recovery of which has created tensions with stakeholders (e.g., large carnivores, some geese species, cormorants, etc.). A specific focus could also be placed on habitats and species which depend on the maintenance of sustainable agricultural land management.
- ensure the recovery of habitats and/or species in unfavourable status and/or with a declining trend according to the reporting under the EU Birds and/or Habitats Directive (2019) by providing methodologies and recommendations on how to identify recovery needs for populations or restoration needs for habitats, including with regard to geographical location, quantity and quality of habitat to be restored.
Area B: Improving the conservation status of huntable bird species listed in Annex II of the Birds Directive.
Successful proposals should:
- Identify habitat management and restoration needs for huntable bird species in non-secure status, with a focus on agricultural habitats, evaluate the impact of hunting and provide recommendations for an adaptive harvest management of these species, considering the available species-specific data on habitat quality and quantity impacting their fecundity and breeding success and survival rate for these species. Preparatory work done by the Commission Services should be taken into account.
Proposals should closely follow and ensure consistency with any ongoing or future relevant policy developments, with a particular focus on the voluntary EU targets for improving the status of species and habitats and increasing the coverage of protected areas, as well as in relation to the upcoming Commission proposal for legally binding restoration targets.
Proposals should earmark the necessary resources for cooperation and networking activities. They are expected to link with relevant projects such as EuropaBON, LIFE Integrated Projects and LIFE Strategic Nature Projects as well as with relevant projects under Horizon Europe topics, such as HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-02: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Collaboration with the European partnership on biodiversity Biodiversa+ should be explored, as needed.
The possible participation of the JRC would help ensure that the methodologies proposed can support environmental compliance assurance, particularly by leveraging geospatial intelligence.
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Expected results
In line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, and existing EU nature legislation (Birds and Habitats Directives), project results will contribute to the following impact of destination “biodiversity and ecosystem services”: “to plan, manage and expand terrestrial and marine protected areas and improve the conservation status of species and habitats, based on up-to-date knowledge and solutions”. More specifically, project results will improve the setting of conservation objectives and measures for EU-protected habitats and species, thereby also ensuring that the network of Natura 2000 sites enable the maintenance or restoration of favourable conservation status.
Results of individual projects are expected to contribute to at least one of the following expected outcomes:
- Favourable conservation status for species and habitats covered by the EU Birds and/or Habitats Directives, and clarification of what is needed on an EU or biogeographical scale or other ecologically relevant scale (e.g., major basin, major flyway) in line with the relevant parameters and their values on the basis of which Member States define favourable conservation status.
- Better implementation of the EU Birds Directive specifically in relation to the 42 huntable bird species listed in Annex II of the directive which are not in a secure status, by filling scientific knowledge gap in relation to the amount and quality of habitat that is needed for these species (with a focus on their breeding habitats), and to ensure that their hunting is carried out sustainably.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), 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), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, International organization, Natural Person, 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.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding.
other eligibility criteria
To ensure a balanced portfolio, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to one project within the area A ( Improving the conservation status of habitats and species protected under the Habitats and/or Birds Directive) that is the highest ranked, and one project within the area B (Improving the conservation status of huntable bird species listed in Annex II of the Birds Directive) that is the highest ranked, provided that the applications attain all thresholds. Proposals shall clearly indicate the area they are applying to.
Additional information
Topics
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
HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 1HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 1(kB)
Contact
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