Danube river basin lighthouse – Demonstration of effective and sustainable management of sediments in the Danube river-Black sea system
The Danube River Basin Lighthouse program, under the Horizon Europe Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030', focuses on demonstrating effective and sustainable sediment management in the Danube river-Black Sea system. This initiative aims to restore and protect freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity by addressing challenges related to sediment balance, quality, and flow, fostering transnational cooperation, and driving social and economic transitions towards a sustainable blue economy.
Who is Funded by the Danube River Basin Lighthouse Program
The Danube River Basin Lighthouse program targets a broad range of entities and geographic areas across the Danube basin, focusing on restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity. Its primary goal is to implement effective and sustainable sediment management strategies, aligning with key European environmental directives.
What is Funded Under the Danube River Basin Lighthouse Program
This program supports innovative actions aimed at sustainable sediment management, focusing on restoring ecological balance and mitigating pollution. It encourages the demonstration of solutions at a river basin scale, involving various project stages from piloting to upscaling, and prioritizes nature-based approaches.
Type and Scope of Funding for Danube Sediment Initiatives
The Danube River Basin Lighthouse Program provides grant funding as its primary financial instrument, with substantial support available for projects and additional, smaller grants for associated regions to foster widespread adoption of solutions.
Conditions and Requirements for Danube Sediment Projects
Applicants must adhere to specific conditions for proposal admissibility, consortium formation, and financial management, including strict rules regarding satellite data use and open science practices. Particular attention is required for the involvement of associated regions and the handling of entities from certain countries.
Application Procedure
The application process for the Danube River Basin Lighthouse program followed a single-stage submission, with evaluation procedures detailed in general annexes and the online manual. Applicants were notified of evaluation outcomes in December 2023.
Legal Basis of the Funding Program
The Danube River Basin Lighthouse program is rooted in comprehensive EU legal and policy frameworks, ensuring its legitimacy and guiding its operational implementation. Key documents, including Horizon Europe regulations and specific decisions, are publicly accessible.
Similar Programs
Funding Overview
Funding Status:
Closed
Maximum Amount:
8,500,000 €
Allocated Budget:
17,000,000 €
Open Until:
Ongoing
Award Channel:
Framework Programme Call
Region:
Danube river basin and its associated regions within EU Member States and Associated Countries.
Sectors:
Water and Waste Management, Environmental and Climate Protection, Research and Development, Other
Application Type:
Consortium Required
Funding Stages:
Pilot Testing, Implementation, Scaling, Commercialization
Funding Provider
Program Level:
European Union
Funding Body:
European Union (Horizon Europe)
Additional Partners:
International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), national water/river management authorities, European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet), European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), European Solidarity Corps, Mission Citizen Assemblies, local business communities (SMEs, investors, other business stakeholders), Water4All Partnership, Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea.
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