Objective
Europe is far from meeting its 2030 targets for marine biodiversity protection: ~12% of seas are MPAs and 86% of these areas remain under light, minimal or no protection. Strictly protected networks—key to biodiversity, climate resilience and sustainable fisheries—remain fragmented and hard to implement. SPHERE addresses this gap by cooperating with national/regional authorities, maritime industry representatives and coastal communities to develop a modular, science-based decision-support framework that integrates best-available ecological and environmental evidence, ecosystem-service values, socio-economic criteria, spatial/temporal trade-offs, and governance alignment with MSFD, MSPD and the Nature Restoration Law. By doing so, SPHERE will provide the operational and evidence foundations needed to support and accelerate the effective implementation of strict protection networks across European seas.
To prove adaptability across scales and governance settings, SPHERE framework will be demonstrated in contrasting contexts: a transboundary Northern Seas network (macro, multi-country coordination and cross-border MSP) and archipelago pilots (micro, high-use island systems close to communities). showing how common building blocks adapt to data availability, governance and socio-ecological realities, converging on socially workable, designation-ready and policy-consistent Pilot Network Blueprints.
SPHERE will deliver ≥4 network blueprints; open FAIR datasets and reproducible methods (feeding EMODnet and the Digital Twin of the Ocean); a sector impact-assessment package; pilot-level governance strategies; and an EU-level upscaling strategy with recommendations. A replicable framework will help Member States, Regional Sea Conventions and communities scale results. Outcomes will improve knowledge on marine habitats and their services, enable coherent strict-protection networks, inform maritime spatial planning and accelerate implementation in line with 2030 objectives.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences marine biology
- social sciences sociology governance
- engineering and technology environmental engineering ecosystem-based management climate change adaptation
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.6 - Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.2 - Culture, creativity and inclusive society
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HORIZON.2.1 - Health
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HORIZON.2.4 - Digital, Industry and Space
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HORIZON.2.3 - Civil Security for Society
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HORIZON.2.5 - Climate, Energy and Mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MISS-2025-03
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
13355 Berlin
Germany
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.