Specific Challenge:
The Black Sea contains the largest body of oxygen-free hydrogen sulphide-rich marine waters on Earth. Any new local, national or transboundary policy measures should consider its special ecosystem characteristics, its biodiversity and its submerged cultural heritage sites.
The European Commission has been supporting the work of researchers from all the Black Sea countries to advance a shared vision for a productive, healthy, resilient, sustainable and highly-valued Black Sea by 2030. The first step was a gap analysis and a Vision Paper: A Blue Growth Initiative for Research and Innovation in the Black Sea (May 2018), leading to the drafting of a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for the Black Sea basin.
The Vision Paper identifies a series of challenges for the Black Sea basin, which are driven by a range of human-induced and natural drivers, such as pollution, maritime transport, eutrophication, climate change, and coastal hazards. The abundance of gas hydrates is a particular asset of the Black Sea that represents both opportunities and risks. Fish stocks and species diversity are under severe stress, common surveys and monitoring can provide a base for better assessment, management and prevention. The area's marine heritage and its ecosystem services are also at risk. Black Sea societies can be more deeply connected through a bridge of knowledge, technologies, services and innovations. The EU is committed to supporting the development of solutions to solve these issues. This work will support several policies and international agreements such as the EU Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP), the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the EU Neighbourhood Policy, and the Bucharest Convention[1].
Scope:Proposals shall provide solutions for accurate predictive tools and capabilities to tackle the increasingly complex array of multi-stressors and their poorly understood interactions, including their connection with rivers flowing into the Black Sea.
Proposals shall address the fundamental Black Sea research challenges, that have been identified so far and others that may be defined as the priority-setting work proceeds, taking into account policy documents such as the MSFD reports of Romania and Bulgaria and the Strategic Action Plan of the Bucharest Convention. Proposals shall:
Furthermore, proposals should provide scientific support to very early development of emerging start-ups in the region.
All data collected must be handled in line with commonly agreed standards and be compatible with EMODnet and clouds.
The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU in the range of EUR 9 million would allow this specific challenge to be adequately addressed. Nonetheless, this does not preclude the submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.
Expected Impact:Activities will support the implementation of the MSFD and the Bucharest Convention, marine and maritime research and innovation to create synergies, increase economic benefits, and reduce hazards for prosperous, resilient and empowered communities deriving interest from the Black Sea basin.
In the short term, activities will develop:
In the medium term:
Activities will promote education and capacity building:
International cooperation
Blue Growth
[1]The Horizon 2020 work programme for 2019 includes a Coordination and Support Action: Coordination of marine and maritime research and innovation in the Black Sea.