As Europe steps up efforts to restore its ocean and waters, waterfront communities are increasingly recognised as central actors in turning policy ambitions into real change on the ground.
That message ran throughout a high-level session at the European Ocean Days 2026, where representatives from cities, regions, ports and islands, alongside Mission Ocean and Waters communities, Mission Charter signatories and lighthouse partners from across Europe gathered for the event “Together for change: A Coalition to empower communities for Mission Ocean and Waters”. The session marked the official launch of the Coalition of cities, regions, islands and ports for the Mission Ocean and Waters, implemented by the Horizon Europe project CO-WATERS.
Held at the European Commission’s Charlemagne Building in Brussels, the session brought together representatives from Mission communities across Europe’s four sea and river basins to exchange experiences, discuss remaining challenges and explore how collaboration can accelerate progress under the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”.
Opening the discussion, Maria Cristina Russo, Deputy Director-General at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, challenged participants to reflect on the next phase of the Mission.
“How do we move further faster?” she asked, pointing to the need to scale up solutions and strengthen cooperation across Europe.
According to the Commission, the Mission is now moving from its initial mobilisation phase towards large-scale deployment. New funding and support structures are being introduced to help communities implement solutions ranging from ecosystem restoration to pollution reduction and sustainable blue economy initiatives.
Local communities at the centre of implementation
Representatives from regions, ports and coastal communities shared their experiences of translating European objectives into local action.
For many, restoring ecosystems and improving water management requires long-term collaboration across sectors and institutions.
“Restoring our fjord is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Karoline Viberg Skahjem, Senior Adviser and Oslo Fjord Coordinator in Norway, highlighting the persistence required to tackle environmental challenges over time.
Participants also discussed the need to strengthen cooperation between different initiatives supporting the Mission across Europe’s Atlantic-Arctic, Baltic-North Sea, Mediterranean and Danube-Black Sea basins.
Launch of the Coalition
The session concluded with the official launch of the Coalition of cities, regions, islands and ports for the Mission Ocean and Waters.
Implemented by the CO-WATERS project, the Coalition brings together waterfront authorities and their local partners working on marine and freshwater challenges. CO-WATERS provides structured support to support Coalition members in driving cleaner, healthier and more resilient marine and freshwater systems under the EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030".
CO-WATERS will deliver services including peer learning and networking opportunities, training and mentoring, guidance on stakeholder engagement and advice on funding and investment strategies.
“The Coalition is not just another network. It is an engine for implementation,” said James Morrison, Deputy Mission Manager for the EU Mission Ocean and Waters at the European Commission, announcing the initiative.
The Coalition also introduces a Label in support of the Mission Ocean and Waters, designed to recognise cities, regions and islands’ efforts to contribute to the EU Mission objectives.
For Annemie Wyckmans, coordinator of the CO-WATERS project, the Coalition’s role is to strengthen the work already being carried out locally.
Communities across Europe, she noted, are already working daily to restore marine and freshwater systems, but maintaining momentum over time remains a challenge.
The Coalition aims to address this by creating a space where communities can exchange practical experience, learn from one another and sustain long-term collaboration.
Gathering feedback from the community
Later that afternoon, CO-WATERS organised a needs assessment workshop at the ERRIN offices in Brussels to gather direct input from stakeholders.
The interactive session brought together representatives from cities, regions, islands, ports and supporting organisations to discuss what types of support would be most valuable in helping them advance their work.
Participants highlighted strong interest in the Coalition, particularly for its potential to connect communities working on similar challenges and provide opportunities for peer learning.
Many stressed the importance of practical tools for stakeholder engagement, clearer coordination between initiatives and support in navigating funding opportunities.
Peer learning exchanges and smaller interactive formats were identified as particularly effective ways to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing.
The discussion also explored expectations around the Label in support of the Mission Ocean and Waters, which participants saw as a potential tool for increasing visibility, strengthening partnerships and supporting access to funding.
The day concluded with a Blue Networking Event co-organised by CO-WATERS and ERRIN, bringing together ERRIN members, local actors and stakeholders attending the European Ocean Days.
Scaling up and tracking progress
The week continued with further contributions from CO-WATERS to discussions on strengthening implementation and tracking progress under the Mission framework.
On 5 March, CO-WATERS Technical Lead, Maria Loloni, participated in the session “Mission Ocean and Waters frameworks supporting deployment and scaling up solutions”, which explored how EU frameworks and instruments can support territories in moving from pilot actions to wider implementation and large-scale deployment.
On 6 March, CO-WATERS Coordinator, Annemie Wyckmans, contributed to “From Actions to Impact: Tracking the progress of EU Mission Ocean and Waters”, focusing on approaches to monitoring results, strengthening learning processes and ensuring that Mission activities translate into measurable impact over time.
Together, these exchanges underlined the shared objective of moving from experimentation to sustained implementation, supported by stronger cooperation across Europe’s waterfront communities.
The launch of the Coalition of cities, regions, islands and ports for the Mission Ocean and Waters, implemented by CO-WATERS, represents an important step in this direction. By bringing together waterfront authorities and their local partners and stakeholders, and by providing structured support through CO-WATERS, the initiative aims to help territories advance their blue transition, contributing to the Mission’s objectives.
