What is the Mission Ocean?
The EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” aims to protect and restore the health of Europe’s ocean, seas, and freshwater systems by 2030. It brings together research, innovation, public engagement, and investment to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing marine and aquatic environments today, including biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change. A key feature of the Mission is its integrated approach: rather than addressing oceans, seas, and rivers separately, it treats them as one interconnected system. This approach is essential for achieving climate neutrality, restoring ecosystems, and ensuring the sustainable use of marine and freshwater resources. The Mission is supported by a range of cross-cutting actions, including strong public engagement and the development of advanced digital tools such as the Digital Twin Ocean, which will improve knowledge sharing and decision-making. To turn ambition into action, the Mission operates through regional “Lighthouses” in major sea and river basins: the Atlantic-Arctic, the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic–North Sea, and the Danube–Black Sea. These serve as real-world test areas where innovative solutions are developed, demonstrated, and scaled up.
Blue4All and Mission Ocean
Blue4All is part of a broader portfolio of projects funded under the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, all working towards the shared goal of restoring healthy and resilient aquatic ecosystems by 2030. Funded in 2021 under the call “Projects to protect and restore our ocean and waters”, Blue4All contributes specifically to improving the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across Europe. It is one of several projects focused on conservation and restoration, alongside others addressing pollution, supporting a sustainable blue economy, and strengthening citizen engagement. Together, these projects form a coordinated effort that combines science, policy, and practice to deliver real impact.
A Growing Porfolio of Action
The EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” is supported by a rapidly expanding portfolio of projects across Europe. To date, more than 1,200 EU-funded projects have been identified as contributing to the Mission’s objectives, spanning multiple funding programmes and areas of action. This portfolio continues to grow as new projects are launched, reflecting the scale and diversity of efforts underway to restore marine and freshwater ecosystems. You can explore these projects through the European Commission’s interactive tools, including the Mission Ocean Portfolio Dashboard, which allows users to browse, filter, and visualise initiatives and identify synergies across projects.
