On 10 March 2025, WaterLANDS, together with the three other projects funded under the Horizon 2020 Green Deal Call - MERLIN, REST-COAST and SUPERB - held a high-level workshop at the European Commission in Brussels on "Supporting the Development of National Restoration Plans".
The event, which was co-organised by the European Research Executive Agency and the Green Deal Projects Support Office, presented and discussed evidence-based recommendations and scalable solutions to help Member States design effective National Restoration Plans (NRPs).
Together, the four ongoing projects lever practical experience and multi-disciplinary knowledge from a total of 71 restoration and knowledge sites across Europe with 149 partner organisations and supported by large networks of stakeholders at regional and international levels.
Main topics covered by the event included:
- Impactful scaling up of restoration, supported by effective restoration methods
- Feasible financing options for restoration, supported by adequate monitoring & evaluation
- Additionally, the event addressed the onboarding of local and regional stakeholders through engagement and targeted communication, as also required for the NRPs.
The event gathered over 100 key restoration stakeholders, including representatives from Member States and the European Commission. This report summarises the key insights and actions from the workshop and provides additional resources and information from the projects. The lessons shared in the report can serve as a resource for national authorities when developing NRPs and inform decision-making and evidence-based policymaking.