Improving scientific knowledge to strengthen the science-basis of management decisions under the CFP

Code: 35218 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2025-PIA-FisheriesScientificAdvice | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 14/11/2024 | End submission calls: 20/02/2025

The main objective of this Call for Proposals is to develop and strengthen the scientific knowledge needed to support the science-basis for fisheries management measures.

The priorities related to this call are:

• the reinforcement of policy-oriented fisheries science,
• the better use of the collected scientific data,
• the improved cooperation between scientists and the fisheries sector,
• and the support of the EU scientific community in developing and maintaining the relevant expertise to provide high quality scientific advice.

The purpose of this Call is to target additional needs for scientific knowledge, reinforcing and complementing the actions undertaken by EU bodies that have an impact in the implementation of the Common Fishery Policy.

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) for the North Sea

Code: 33829 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2024-PIA-MSP | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 07/05/2024 | End submission calls: 11/06/2024

The objective of this call for proposals is to facilitate the implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in the EU, including through the effective application of Directive 2014/89 establishing a framework for MSP.

This call is intended to fund projects developing innovative responses to tackle specific challenges that EU Members tates might encounter when putting into effect, monitoring and/or revising their maritime spatial plans.

Many of these challenges are common to coastal Member States. Therefore, there is a shared interest in developing innovative responses that can apply within a sea basin and/or across sea basins. This means that projects should bring together participants from different Member States, located in a sea basin, or from different sea basins.

To meet these challenges Member States will have to:

• Reflect and align their maritime spatial plans to the ambition of the European Green Deal
• Cater for cumulative impacts of ocean stressors
• Reinforce the sea basin dimension of MSP
• Making MSP digital and pan-European

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) projects

Code: 31463 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2023-PIA-MSP | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 26/10/2023 | End submission calls: 27/02/2024

The objective of this call for proposals is to facilitate the implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) in the EU, including through the effective application of Directive 2014/89 establishing a framework for MSP.

This call is intended to fund projects developing innovative responses to tackle specific challenges that EU Members States might encounter when putting into effect, monitoring and/or revising their maritime spatial plans.

Proposals are expected to develop innovative responses to tackle the above mentioned specific challenges that EU Members States might encounter in the implementation and/or revision of their maritime spatial plans.

Regional flagship projects supporting a sustainable blue economy in EU sea basins - submerged munitions in the Baltic Sea

Code: 31068 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2023-PIA-FLAGSHIP-MUNITION | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 28/09/2023 | End submission calls: 18/01/2024

This call for proposals and topic aim at preparing the ground for concrete actions to mitigate the threat to human health and safety, the environment and to the development of a sustainable blue economy posed by the presence of submerged munitions in the Baltic Sea.

It seeks to foster cooperation among the Baltic Sea Member States, as well as neighbouring countries cooperating with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, between the public and private sectors, including investors, as well as civil and military entities, to identify and gather the data necessary to establish a list of priorities and conduct relevant risk assessments. This work will facilitate the exchange of best practices across different stakeholders and sea-basins and contribute to awareness raising.

Improving scientific knowledge to strengthen the science-basis of management decisions under the Common Fisheries Policy

Code: 28188 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2023-PIA-FisheriesScientificAdvice | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 28/03/2023 | End submission calls: 19/09/2023

The main objective of this Call is to promote the development and/or the strengthening of the scientific knowledge needed to support the science-basis for fisheries conservation and management measures. The priorities related to this call are the reinforcement of policy-oriented fisheries science, the better use of the collected scientific data, the improved cooperation between scientists and the fisheries sector, and the contribution in supporting the EU scientific community in developing and maintaining the relevant expertise to provide high quality scientific advice.

Sustainable transport and ports in the Mediterranean

Code: 24725 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2023-PIA-FLAGSHIP-3-MED | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 13/10/2022 | End submission calls: 31/01/2023

The main objectives of this topic are to reduce emissions by ports and ships and promote the transition towards carbon neutrality of the maritime transport sector in the Mediterranean, while ensuring synergies with the Horizon Europe Co-Programmed Partnership on Zero-Emission Waterborne Transport.

Regenerative ocean farming in the Baltic Sea Region

Code: 24721 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2023-PIA-FLAGSHIP-6-BALTIC | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 13/10/2022 | End submission calls: 31/01/2023

This topic aims at reorienting fishers from extraction to ocean regeneration activities. It will support fishers and other interested stakeholders, to assess the interest and feasibility to set up new regenerative ocean farms or restore coastal marine ecosystems, including by testing these approaches, if possible in connection with marine protected areas.

Diversification of fisheries activities in the Atlantic area

Code: 24718 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2023-PIA-FLAGSHIP-1-ATLANTIC | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 13/10/2022 | End submission calls: 31/01/2023

The main objective of this topic is to support the diversification of the income sources for fisheries communities in the Atlantic area by promoting activities related to the sustainable blue economy.

Harnessing preparedness and response to marine pollution in the Black Sea

Code: 24716 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2023-PIA-FLAGSHIP-2-BLACK | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 13/10/2022 | End submission calls: 31/01/2023

The overall objective of this topic is to prepare and adapt the capacities for a coordinated response to new challenges linked to marine pollution, with particular attention to pollution caused by armed conflicts, by authorities/organisations in charge of marine environmental pollution response activities.

Blue careers for a sustainable blue economy

Code: 24712 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2023-BlueCareers | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 13/10/2022 | End submission calls: 31/01/2023

The overall aim of this Call is to contribute to the development of the next generation of blue skills and to provide opportunities for attractive, sustainable maritime careers.
this Call aims to support innovative cooperation projects, bringing together the blue economy industry and relevant marine and maritime educational/academic institutions and/or vocational training providers at all levels (local, regional, national, transnational), and other stakeholders.

Maritime clusters as an innovative enabler for a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Mediterranean

Code: 24709 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2023-PIA-FLAGSHIP-4-MED | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 13/10/2022 | End submission calls: 31/01/2023

This topic aims at contributing to the Goal 2 “A smart and resilient blue economy” of the WestMED Initiative[1] (Priority 2.2. “Maritime Clusters Development”), by building up on clusters currently cooperating (e.g. WestMED Clusters Alliance) or similar co-operation agreements and actions in the region developed by EU networks for industrial policy, interregional collaboration and integration of SMEs into EU and global value chains.
It also aims to improve the involvement of maritime clusters in policy-making at the regional/national levels, in particular as regards the definition/upgrade of smart specialisation strategies.

Sustainable maritime and coastal tourism in the Outermost Regions

Code: 24706 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2023-PIA-FLAGSHIP-5-OR | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 13/10/2022 | End submission calls: 31/01/2023

• Design of smart eco-tourism packages and promotion of biodiversity assets
• Innovation in destination management.

Women in the Blue Economy

Code: 22603 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2022-PIA-WBE | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 17/05/2022 | End submission calls: 22/09/2022

This call for proposals has the following main objectives:

1. to increase the participation and representation of women in the different sectors of the sustainable blue economy;
2. to increase knowledge and collect data on women’s contribution to the sustainable blue economy so as to efficiently foster and mainstream gender equality;
3. to promote and advance gender equality in the sustainable blue economy (e.g., countering gender stereotypes, conscious and unconscious bias, promoting equal pay, addressing poor working conditions, etc.) including through promoting blue career opportunities to girls from early education;
4. to promote women’s leadership, entrepreneurship and participation in governance structures and decision-making mechanisms of public and/or private organisations of the sustainable blue economy.

The actions funded under this call will help sustainable blue economy sectors, e.g., fisheries, aquaculture, shipbuilding, maritime transport, offshore renewable energy, blue bioeconomy, inland and offshore aquaculture, etc., to embrace a deep and structural change to facilitate and promote the inclusion of women in the wider maritime economy.

Action for a CISE incident alerting system

Code: 14164 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2021-PIA-CISE | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 26/08/2021 | End submission calls: 18/01/2022

In the context of this call, the proposals are to enhance the cooperation between public maritime authorities (including European Commission Services and EU Agencies) by promoting the development of at least 2 services at pre-operational phase and to foster the uptake of CISE in view of its operationalisation. The developed services at pre-operational phase should relate to risk and incident alerting services that use CISE for information exchange.

Maritime Spatial Planning Projects

Code: 14161 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2021-PIA-MSP | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 28/09/2021 | End submission calls: 12/01/2022

There is a shared interest among coastal Member States, in developing innovative responses that can apply within a sea basin and/or across sea basins. This call is intended to fund projects to develop innovative responses to tackle specific challenges that EU Members States might encounter when putting into effect, monitoring and/or revising their maritime spatial plans.

Black Sea blue economy investment and innovation capacity building pilot

Code: 14154 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2021-PIA-FLAGSHIP-BLACK | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 28/09/2021 | End submission calls: 12/01/2022

The specific objectives of this Call are:

• Strengthening the capacity of blue economy SMEs and start-ups to identify and tap into potential public/private investors.
• Improving the visibility of investment opportunities in the Black Sea blue economy and capacity of public/private investors to identify SMEs and start-ups.
• Develop stakeholder capacity to establish/enhance concrete cooperation and networking approaches and methods to improve the business environment and strengthen value chains.
• Contributing to the development of a networked, multi-stakeholder blue investment and innovation ecosystem in the Black Sea.

Innovative multi-use projects combining offshore renewable energy with other activities and/or with nature protection in the Atlantic

Code: 14152 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2021-PIA-FLAGSHIP-ATLANTIC | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 28/09/2021 | End submission calls: 12/01/2022

This call topic supports the Atlantic Maritime Strategy priority to develop marine renewable energy. The specific objective is to support the development and uptake of multi-use between marine renewable energies (especially emerging ones such as wave, tidal and floating wind) and other blue economy activities and/or with nature protection (e.g. marine protected areas).

Recovery of coastal and maritime tourism in the Western Mediterranean

Code: 13556 | Identifier Code: EMFAF-2021-PIA-FLAGSHIP-WESTMED | Programme name: European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) | Start submission calls: 28/09/2021 | End submission calls: 12/01/2022

This call topic aims:

• to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of the coastal and maritime tourism ecosystem in the Western Mediterranean;
• at preserving the marine and coastal environment and marine cultural heritage, and contributing to the attractiveness of coastal areas as a unique asset for competitiveness in the Mediterranean;
• at supporting tourism stakeholders to tap into the growing ecotourism niche tourism market;
• at boosting innovation and digitalisation in the tourism sector, thus increasing its contribution to economic growth and jobs in the Mediterranean;
• at improving the business environment for tourism SMEs, mobilising private-public investments, enhancing socio-economic and market intelligence, diversifying and increasing the visibility of the tourism offer and products.