Priority 1: Support for mapping, condition assessment and restoration of marine habitats

The project will contribute to the EU restoration plan under the EU Biodiversity strategy and assist Member States in fulfilling their existing obligations under the BHD and MSFD, as well as prepare for the implementation of Article 5 of the proposed NRL. It will provide:

• support and concrete guidance on necessary steps and methods for mapping, assessment of condition and restoration of all marine habitats listed in Annex II of the proposed NRL in EU seas and similar support for habitats of species;
• an overview of best available and validated scientific methodologies with a focus on those which can provide the necessary information in a cost-effective and coherent way;
• identify possible gaps in knowledge as well as best ways to deal with them, including by identifying short and medium-term research priorities.

Throughout the project, Member States authorities and relevant organisations gathering marine restoration experts should be involved to ensure that the results, in the form of a comprehensive manual, will be relevant and applicable for implementation of legal obligations. Finally, the outcome should be presented and disseminated to Member States to facilitate its use and uptake on the ground.

Priority 2: Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR)

The project should:

• Elaborate a report on the state of play in EPR schemes across EU Member States, assessing main achievements, barriers, and opportunities for their implementation, highlighting data gap, best practices, guidelines.
  • The report should also include an overview and assessment of EPR fees modulation implemented in EPRs.
  • This would allow policymakers to have a clear overview of the state of play of the implementation and enforcement of EPR measures across the EU, and to better assess the outcome of the policies adopted, or in the process of being adopted. The overview should also propose possible innovative solutions to the main challenges of the sector, such as establishing a methodology for EPR fee rates that is transparent, functional and reflects end of life costs in a comprehensive way, or clearly allocating producer responsibility in a context of limited data availability. Finally, the report should focus on long-term impact and aim at future-proofing the findings and proposals presented, for example by considering the foreseeable technological advances of Artificial Intelligence, with the threats and opportunities connected.
• Develop an online pilot for an EU wide EPR register to demonstrate its feasibility, including governance, technical and economic sustainability.
  • In order to ensure appropriate monitoring and compliance with the obligations of producers, the WFD establishes a producer register to be set by each Member State.
  • The setting up of an EU-wide EPR register offers opportunities for synergies and cost reduction for the administrations.
  • On this basis, the project should take the necessary steps to put in place a pilot EU-wide EPR register, that should not be limited to a specific waste stream and should contain the information generally required for national EPR systems. A particular attention to the reproducibility of the proposed model is key to enable future development in particular for waste streams complex to govern such as packaging or vehicles. The online pilot EU-wide EPR register should contain links and references to national waste management authorities' websites to strengthen coherence.
  • The project should propose options for the governance of the proposed EU-wide EPR register and assess its technical and economic sustainability.
• Raise awareness among producers, citizens, groups of consumers, on the EPR and involvement in circular use of resources.
  • The project should disseminate the results and lessons learned through communication and awareness-raising campaigns. The project could include training packages on EPR and generally on the polluter pays principle, not only aimed at civil society, e.g. citizens, consumers group, but specifically at producers, since making them aware of the waste their product can produce is the first step to make them responsible.
  • The project should aim at creating an EU wide community where waste experts can exchange views on innovative waste management practices and technological advances, in the form of workshops, training sessions, seminars and dedicated events to be held periodically, whether hybrid or physical. This would contribute to providing policymakers with the input needed to elaborate up-to-date, efficient and future-proof legislation and policy.

The expected impacts of the project will contribute to:

• Enhanced clarity on the state of play of the implementation of EPR provisions across Member States; on the number and types of products or waste streams covered by EPR schemes in different Member States;
• Increased awareness on EPR and polluter pays principle, and communication materials available potentially to all EU citizens by the end of the project;
• Set up an academia-driven community where experts from different fields and sectors can exchange views on sustainable development, environmental and climate protection, and provide continuous feedback to policy on EPR and circularity.
• Enhanced harmonisation among different pieces of EU waste legislation, including product legislation (e.g. ESPR), leading to better policymaking.

Priority 3: Capacity building and training of private sector stakeholders in implementing the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products

The proposal should include a clear intervention logic and description of the chain of change that is expected to generate the results of the project; as well the proposal should indicate a first estimate of baseline and expected results. Proposals submitted under this priority should demonstrate how they will contribute to:

• Increased awareness amongst EU operators and traders, and more particularly SMEs including microenterprises, about the EUDR and its requirements;
• Providing capacity, skills and appropriate advice to companies, and more particularly SMEs including microenterprises, for implementing the EUDR requirements;
• Use of appropriate tools and methods to support the implementation of the EUDR by the EU operators and traders, and more particularly SMEs including microenterprises;
• Develop, implement and roll-out compliance tools and approaches for use by the relevant sectors; 
• Proposals should propose indicators which are specific to the proposed activities. The results and impacts should be quantified for the end of the project and for 5 years after the end of the project.

Priority 4: Holistic orientations towards environmental new infrastructures in Ukrainian cities - Debris

The project shall contribute to:

• the development of a methodology and a step by step process for ensuring a safe and circular removal/re-use of construction debris in the specific Ukrainian context;
• the definition, identification and testing of appropriate and customised solutions to address the challenge of a safe and effective management of the construction in Ukraine;
• support the municipalities with information and relevant knowledge for implementing of the most appropriate solution in their context.

In addition, it is expected that the project improves the coordination among the donors community.

Proposals should include indicators which are specific to the proposed activities. The results and impacts should be quantified for the end of the project and for 5 years after the end of the project.

Priority 5: Holistic orientations towards environmental new infrastructures in Ukrainian cities - Water

It is expected that the specific priority awarded in the framework of this call will have a substantial support to:

• improve water and sanitation services management for Ukrainian cities;
• facilitate the use of innovative and state of the art water services management approaches through twinning with EU cities (preferably members of Covenant of Mayors or Green City Accord, or participating in LIFE Strategic Integrated Projects for water management plans)
• Provide capacity building and training for relevant city administrative, technical and political staff on strategic planning;
• identify further needs to the full implementation of water management facilitate replication

Priority 6: Developing best practices in low tillage farming without herbicides

The project will contribute to a wide range of objectives and Union legislation, including the improvement of ecosystem health and biodiversity in agricultural areas, facilitating the improvement of soil health and biodiversity, as well as the protection of aquatic ecosystems impacted by excess nutrients as well as chemical plant protection products and their derivatives.

Priority 7: Circular Europe Hotspot, a new governance model for the ECESP, with a focus on Circular Business model mainstreaming

The project strives to create positive impact by promoting circular solutions contributing to the successful transition to a circular economy in the EU. These impacts will be delivered by:

• Identifying and ensuring the exchange of good practices from relevant stakeholders (national, regional and local circular economy actors).
• Fostering the debate and dialogue among the circular economy community.
• Facilitate capacity and capability building as well as knowledge creation.

In particular, related to the Platform, the expected main impacts relate to:

• A clear governance system for the group of stakeholders that drive pro-actively the work of the platform and ensure cross dissemination.
• Strong cooperation with Member State representatives as to also support policy making at national and regional level.
• Offer to future stakeholders selected to be part of Circular Europe Hotspot quality services so they can scale up the activities of the platform more efficiently.
• Wider outreach of the stakeholder pillar of the platform.

In addition to the common objectives, for CBMs the envisaged core impacts relate to:

• Increased uptake and efficient shift towards circular business models including for ESPR relevant sectors and SMEs, based on:
  • Increased awareness and knowledge about potential CBM approaches amongst economic actors, including with regard to furniture and textiles as well as other potential ESPR priority products.
  • Availability of targeted hands-on guidance and tools on how to potentially transition the business model, practices or individual products towards more circular approaches; channel finance and investment and foster partnerships.
  • Application of best-practices and knowledge shared via networks/ exchange amongst peers and other stakeholders.
  • Improved/Facilitated access to funding by raising awareness about existing funding options for businesses (EU, national, regional) to support their transition to CBMs.

The applicants are encouraged to develop or identify key performance indicators (KPIs) who support quantification of the envisaged impacts related to the expected outcomes and deliverables below. The KPIs should be included in the annual activity report.

Indicators, which can be considered include (non-exhaustive):

• Screening of best practice taken-up;
• Number of events training schemes and capacity building activities developed;
• Number of trainers trained and/or trainings held;
• Number of companies, including in ESPR relevant sectors, benefitting from the trainings and using the tools/approaches developed;
• Quantitative and qualitative surveys to test knowledge and progress towards shifting to CBMs;
• Evaluation surveys by relevant stakeholders.

Expected outcomes:

• Identification of good practices that will be incorporated into the website of the platform, as well as list of useful networks, sector organisations and other intermediaries. 30% of these should be on CBMs.
• Participation in and organisation of events and trainings on the topics identified in the work plan and agreed with the organisations. 20% of these should be on CBMs.
• Proposal of knowledge sharing, matchmaking and mentoring tools and events to facilitate the involvement of SMEs. 30% of these should be relevant for CBMs.
• At least a working subgroup for textiles, plastics, green public procurement, investments and CBMs
• Organisation of awareness raising campaigns, communication activities and specific engagement actions. 30% should be relevant for CBMs.
• Establishment of at least one circular hub per geographical region in Europe (Southern, Nordic, Eastern and Central European countries).
• Preparation of presentations, guidelines and tools per working group and other relevant knowledge sources (e.g. climate, investments...). 30% of these should be relevant for CBMs.
• Develop and share guidance to practitioners incl. SMEs and recommendations to public authorities. 50% should be relevant for CBMs.
• Facilitate access to funding for business strategy and implementation work for economic actors wanting to transition to more circular business models (via funding map/screening).
• Analyse CBM opportunities and pathways with a specific focus on to be defined/assessed products and sectors with ESPR relevance.

It is expected to see in the proposal a detailed description of the resources that would be mobilised for specific expected outcomes given a clear indication to the split between more general activities under “Circular Europe Hotspot” as well as specific activities and deliverables linked to CBMs. Furthermore, expected deliverables should be quantified to facilitate the assessment of proposals (e.g. number of good practices, trainings/hours etc).

Priority 8: Support for actions to address degassing of NMVOCs in inland waterway and maritime transport

The project is expected to contribute to an environmentally and economically sustainable pathway for the reduction of degassing in EU waters, and possibly beyond, in a holistic and consistent manner, with similar approaches everywhere in the EU, providing a level playing field for shipping and for the (petro)chemical industry and an equal protection for all from degassing of NMVOCs throughout the EU. The deliverables after completion of the project will offer a clear handle to reduce emissions of NMVOCs from shipping.

The ultimate impact of the project and the follow-up implementation and funding actions will be lower emissions of NMVOCs from shipping, contributing to less air pollution (NMVOCs, but also secondary PM and ozone), and in this way, easier compliance with AAQD and NECD targets, a better health situation for workers on vessels and in ports and of citizens living close to waterways and ports, a reduced impact of NMVOCs on ecosystems, as well as a reduced impact on global warming from shipping.

Priority 9: Testing and promoting high-quality biodiversity certificate and credit schemes in EU wetlands

It is expected that the project, through concrete demonstrator cases, leads to the identification of the key factors needed to make the protection, restoration and sustainable management of wetlands in Europe a profitable and sustainable business model through biodiversity certification and credit schemes. The objective will be to obtain practical feedback in order to identify the relevant stakeholders on the supply and demand sides and to define the market structuring issues and the needs in terms of financing mechanisms. In addition, the project is expected to characterise the regulatory gaps that are hampering the deployment of these schemes and may require political action.

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Priority 1: Support for mapping, condition assessment and restoration of marine habitats

The project shall draft a comprehensive manual on the necessary steps and methods for 1) mapping relevant habitats 2) assessing condition and setting favorable reference area for relevant habitats and assessing quality, quantity and connectivity of habitats of relevant species and 3) restoration measures for habitats and habitats of relevant species, building on available experience and knowledge. It would be of added value to also include in the manual cost estimations for mapping, assessing conditions and restoration measures, wherever possible, based on available information.

Throughout the project, the applicants are required to cooperate with the European Environment Agency, European Commission’s Joint Research Center and where necessary engage with other relevant organisations and projects (e.g. under Horizon Europe), to benefit from their ongoing work and activities that might be complementary to this project.

It is expected, at the beginning of the project implementation, to organise one workshop with marine restoration experts from Member States and relevant organisations to investigate their needs and collect their views and experiences. Alternatively, workshops can be organised for each EU regional sea or they can be combined with other events that cover the same topic or involve same experts (for example, Natura 2000 biogeographical seminars in case these will take place during the project). In particular, it is expected that the project should build on knowledge acquired by the research community as well as through the implementation of relevant environmental legislation.

Finally, it is required to organizing workshop(s) with Member States’ authorities to present the final results and provide guidance on how to apply and implement the manual on the ground.

Priority 2: Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR)

The project should carry out activities to address the above-identified specific needs. These activities can include, and are not limited to, desk and field research, IT development, events organization.

Priority 3: Capacity building and training of private sector stakeholders in implementing the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products

Activities include:

• Activities aimed at increasing awareness, knowledge and know-how;
• Development of training modules and guidance materials;
• Trainings activities tailored to the specificities of the sectors targeted;
• Train-the-trainer activities;
• Dissemination of relevant information / documentation / training materials in EU languages;
• Promotion of collaborative approaches among companies (eg: large and small companies operating in the same value chain, or on cooperation among companies in proximity);
• Facilitation of peer-to-peer learning and exchanges of best practices.

The approaches proposed should build on experiences and lessons learned from other relevant projects and programmes.

The proposed approaches should demonstrate a high degree of replicability.

Priority 4: Holistic orientations towards environmental new infrastructures in Ukrainian cities - Debris

Potential applicants should include both Ukrainian and European union partners. See below the minimum requirement on the consortium.

The project shall include:

• The analysis of what has been already done in Ukraine and/or similar contexts in the area of debris removal, including best practices from guidance on disasters’ debris removal such as the UNDP guidance, and the EU Construction and Demolition Waste Protocol and Guidelines;
• Factual-based design of customised solution(s) to improve the construction debris removal in Ukraine with a focus on particular waste streams like asbestos and their testing in real conditions, ideally in a couple of locations;
• Based on the results of the customised solution(s), develop a methodology and step-by-step processes to be used by the relevant end users i.e. staff of the municipalities and donor community. The proposed approaches should demonstrate a high degree of replicability.
• Build capacity and the disseminate of the results in the relevant networks.

The project should actively involve national or regional competent authorities, research bodies and relevant stakeholder groups as well as support the development of proposals of further actions (content, planning and budget) to be implemented under other EU and national programmes or public private partnerships.

Priority 5: Holistic orientations towards environmental new infrastructures in Ukrainian cities - Water

The project aims to support, in cooperation with EU cities, small or medium size Ukrainian cities and contribute to the implementation of the water management framework. It should include at least one of the following:

• the development of relevant urban planning approaches and permitting actions at municipal level, with possible use of dedicated Geographical Information Systems or satellites;
• the identification and design of innovative solutions to improve access to safe drinking water and wastewater treatment;
• the promotion of innovative solutions for the design and reconstruction of water and wastewater infrastructures and treatment facilities.

The project should involve the relevant national authorities and to consider the broader water challenges in the country, such as water resources availability and vulnerability (notably vulnerability to contamination by industrial activities), climate change effects, and more frequent droughts and floods; doing so will help ensure that the modernization of Water and Sanitation Services and implements innovative, sustainable, green, and resilient options, like nature-based wastewater solutions.

The project should also develop proposals for further actions (content, planning and budget) to be implemented under other EU and national programmes or public private partnerships.

Priority 6: Developing best practices in low tillage farming without herbicides

The project will include:

• a review of existing scientific and other relevant literature on low/no-tillage practices, including experience from Europe and other regions of the world, in order to establish the baseline of available knowledge. The review should consider, in particular, approaches associated with organic farming as well as so-called ‘regenerative’ practices that seek to minimise soil disturbance while at the same time avoiding the reliance on herbicides for weed control,
• concrete field tests and demonstration projects on low/no-tillage farming without use of herbicides, in cooperation with a number of farms, including research farms. The field experiments should cover a range of major crops, including livestock farming, and reflect different soil and climate conditions typical of European farming.

In terms of outputs, the project is expected to:

• produce a review of low/no-tillage farming practices without herbicides based on field experiments that demonstrate various methods and best practices of ‘regenerative’ practices that seek to minimise soil disturbance and contribute to nature restoration,
• undertake activities aimed at disseminating the outcome of the literature review and collecting the feedback from the farming community in cooperation with independent (non-commercial) farm advisory services in a number of Member States,
• produce a final report on low/no-tillage farming without herbicides based on the two previous outcomes.

Priority 7: Circular Europe Hotspot, a new governance model for the ECESP, with a focus on Circular Business model mainstreaming

Activities can include:

• Identification, mapping of good practices, and population of the website of the platform, including those of relevance for the uptake of CBMs and practices.
• Identification and list of useful networks, sector organisations and other intermediaries that could further spread the information and tools, in particular, a multiplayer per Member State that can eventually act as a national circular hub.
• Participation in targeted events on circular economy to represent the platform, as well as developing and organizing a series of trainings and events within the website of the platform (continuing with the EU Circular Talks branding), in particular with the aim of disseminating content and methods related to CBMs.
• Identify and propose knowledge sharing, matchmaking and mentoring tools and events to facilitate the involvement of SMEs and micro-enterprises. A number of these proposals should have to target CBMs including in ESPR relevant sectors such as textiles and furniture.
• Launch of awareness raising campaigns, communication activities and specific engagement actions, involving the organisations selected and channelling them through the Platform’s website.
• Organisation and steering of sectorial working subgroups, among the stakeholder selected, one of which would have to focus on CBMs.
• Build up circular economy hubs at national or regional level on behalf of the platform. Cross sectorial or specific hubs related to circular economy will be also possible.
• Collect Circular Economy theory including CBMs and translate it into practical and easy to understand concepts to share in presentations, guidelines and tools.
• Develop and share guidance and trainings to practitioners and recommendation to public authorities. 

In particular, in the case of CBMs:

• Assess potential approaches and gather best practices of CBM.
• Analyse and define ESPR relevant sectors and sectors/products with the highest potential to develop CBM approaches, taking into account the upcoming ESPR working plan.
• Assess available EU and national funding and support options available with regard to the transition to CBMs including for SMEs and micro-enterprises.
• Analyse the interaction/interplay of CBMs with EU legislation: identify supporting legislation, or those creating challenges to mainstreaming CBMs.
• Deliver training and provide practical hands-on guidance to support the transition to CBMs including targeted approaches for SMEs and micro-enterprises and ‘training-the-trainers’ via the EEN.
• Liaison with Enterprise Europe Network, including training and application of tools, developing the role of sustainability advisers in EEN hubs as multipliers.
• Support the Commission in preparing guidance on:
  • Directing investment and funding and optimising local resource stocks and flows, with a view to creating circular value and jobs.
  • How to support uptake and partnerships for the circular economy between social enterprises and other actors, including mainstream businesses.

Priority 8: Support for actions to address degassing of NMVOCs in inland waterway and maritime transport

The project activities shall include:

• Exploring and quantifying the scope and nature of the issue of degassing of NMVOCs in the EU and quantifying its impacts on health and the environment to the extent possible;
• Drafting an inventory and analysis of existing legislation and initiatives at EU and international level, as well as guidance documents, with relevance for degassing, to explore effectiveness and synergies;
• Drafting an inventory of needs, options, bottlenecks and barriers for degassing and possible alternative solutions to degassing in inland waterway and maritime transport (governance and implementation, technical, legal, environmental, economic, financial);
• Developing options and scenarios for implementation measures and funding, including quantifying costs and benefits (socio-economic, environmental);
• Exploring the possible use of EU financial support mechanisms, taking into account the nature of the stakeholders;
• Setting up a cooperation structure at EU level for support to legislative governance, transfer of best practice, dialogue with industry (i.a. vessel owners and operators, ports, chemical industry, authorities, NGOs, ...);
• Investigating how, by supporting developments and/or ratification of international conventions and participation in the IMO and UNECE fora, the issue of degassing from vessels from non-EU countries can be addressed which would also benefit EU based ship owners and operators operating in EU waters, including the possibility of (regional) “NMVOC Emission Control Areas” (geographic scope, air pollutants, ...);
• Proposing recommendations for funding (including infrastructure and research and innovation needs), implementation measures, governance, and any other issue of relevance.

The project is expected to take into account and, where useful, build on related initiatives (e.g. the CDNI ratification process, UNECE, ADN, IMO (e.g. ECAs), ...), and relevant EU legislation (e.g. on air quality, transport of dangerous goods, eFTI, ...) and guidelines in place or under development, as well as policy initiatives such as the European Green Deal, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, Fit for 55, Circular Economy initiatives and Naiades III, to maximise synergies.

Deliverables must reflect the above-mentioned activities and should also include the following:

• A report on the state of play of transport of NMVOCs in maritime and inland water shipping and the problem of degassing.
• A report on the needs and barriers for reducing degassing of NMVOCs in the EU, and solutions on how best to address these.
• During the project, the set-up of a long-term cooperation structure at EU level for exchanges of best practice and governance, and for discussing relevant implementation options.
• Proposals for a harmonised approach for the reduction of degassing in EU inland waters and maritime waters (options and scenarios, with a cost-benefit assessment).
• Recommendations on how to best use EU funding instruments to support the reduction of degassing of NMVOCs in the EU, to accompany a transition of a situation of a relative freedom to emit NMVOCs towards a situation in which degassing of these air pollutants is not allowed and alternatives are available (e.g. degassing infrastructure or dedicated tankers).
• Recommendations on how best to address and support the reduction of degassing in an international context (e.g. ECAs, IMO actions).

Priority 9: Testing and promoting high-quality biodiversity certificate and credit schemes in EU wetlands

The expected deliverables include:

• a benchmarking report on biodiversity certification and credit systems for wetlands,
• a feasibility report and proposal for biodiversity certification or credit systems applicable to European wetlands,
• a pilot platform for linking investors and buyers of biodiversity certificates or credits from European wetlands,
• a financial report on the transactions carried out and their terms and conditions,
• a report on the potential for replication and upscaling across Europe.

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