The 4th Annual Mission Forum marked a milestone as the Mission is stepping into its deployment phase, offering an inspiring overview of its achievements.
On 5 March, Brussels hosted the 4th Annual Mission Ocean and Waters Forum to celebrate the progress of the Mission ‘Restore Our Ocean and Waters.’ Concrete, innovative solutions developed under the Mission took centre stage, alongside discussions on the steps needed to ensure their uptake.
The Forum welcomed nearly 700 participants, both in-person and online, representing stakeholders, public authorities, policymakers, research, businesses, investors, innovators, NGOs and youth. The day kicked off with opening remarks from Costas Kadis, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, setting the stage for an inspiring day packed with many different sessions. More than 40 speakers shared insights across six thematic sessions, tackling some of today’s most pressing marine and freshwater challenges.
‘After years of research, piloting and proof of concept, we are now ready to begin full-scale deployment. We are set to move from promising demonstrations to widespread replication, from isolated successes to systemic transformation.’
Costas Kadis, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans
Celebrating key achievements
The Forum highlighted the progress of the Mission since its launch in 2021. The numbers speak for themselves: 81 Mission Ocean and Waters projects are up and running, testing and demonstrating solutions at over 345 demonstration sites across Europe’s four sea basins. Funded with 600 million EUR through Horizon Europe and involving more than 80 associated regions, these projects deliver practical solutions to protect and restore aquatic ecosystems where it matters most. Globally, 1,192 actions have endorsed the Mission Charter, and collectively represent around 9 billion EUR in investments. The EU Blue Parks Community has grown to over 130 members, enhancing marine protection across Europe.
‘The Mission has been instrumental in helping raise the ocean on the EU agenda, as well as on the international agenda. We have succeeded in engineering an unprecedented mobilisation of ocean and waters stakeholders in a decentralised way in the European Union.’
Pascal Lamy, Mission Board Chair
From innovation to deployment
The Forum focused on the Mission’s transition to its deployment phase. Throughout the week, speakers stressed the need for stronger coordination across governance levels and a better alignment of funding streams. Mission Lighthouses presented their integrated governance that link policy, funding, science and stakeholders through co-creation and demonstration sites.
Discussions brought public and private finance to the table. Both need to work together through coordinated and blended investment approaches. Many start-ups already exist, the key challenge is now scaling them up. Verifiable impact measurement systems were highlighted as essential – they can help assess environmental outcomes, better price investment risks, boost investor confidence and unlock additional capital.
‘The Mission has already accelerated learning, coordination and capacity building. It has created a pipeline of restoration actions and investments that is expected to deliver benefits well beyond 2030.’
Kestutis Sadauskas, Mission Manager, Deputy Director General, DG MARE, European Commission
In addition, participants got a firsthand look at the Mission’s innovations. An exhibition of 34 Horizon Europe Mission Ocean and Waters projects showed how these solutions are already transforming Europe’s oceans and waters.
A week full of Mission action
The Forum was an integral part of European Ocean Days 2026, a week-long event reinforcing a shared European vision for a sustainable, competitive and secure ocean. The week also featured other Mission-related events that sparked dialogue and collaboration.
On 4 March, the 6th EU Blue Parks Community Workshop hosted an open dialogue on how the EU Blue Parks initiative can accelerate progress toward Mission targets. The event Together for Change: A Coalition to Empower Communities for Mission Ocean and Waters brought together regions, cities, ports and islands supporting the Mission to share success stories, lessons learned and remaining needs.
On 3 and 4 March, stakeholders also had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the European Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy and the European Water Resilience Research and Innovation Strategy by attending two separate stakeholder consultation sessions on these two strategies. These were announced under the European Ocean Pact and the Water Resilience Strategy last year – two key ocean and water policies of the European Commission that also draw on the momentum, knowledge and stakeholder community mobilised by the Mission.
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