The fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH) industry has made considerable progress toward market deployment. However existing legal framework and administrative processes (LAPs) – covering areas such as planning, safety, installation and operation – only reflect use of incumbent technologies. The limited awareness of FCH technologies in LAPs, the lack of informed national and local administrations and the uncertainty on the legislation applicable to FCH technologies elicit delays and extra-costs, when they do not deter investors or clients. This project aims at tackling this major barrier to deployment as follows: • Systematically identifying and describing the LAPs applicable to FCH technologies in 18 national legal systems as well as in the EU proper legal system. • Assessing and quantifying LAP impacts in time and/or resource terms and identify those LAP constituting a legal barrier to deployment. • Comparing the 18 countries to identify best and bad practices • Raising awareness in the countries where a LAP creates a barrier to deployment. • Advocating targeted improvements in each of 18 countries + EU level • It will make all this work widely available through: (1) A unique online database allowing easy identification, description and assessment of LAPs by country and FCH application. (2) Policy papers by applications and by country with identification of best practice and recommendations for adapting LAP. (3) A series of national (18) and European (1) workshops with public authorities and investors. HyLAW sets up a National Association Alliance not just for the duration of the project, but for the long term consolidation of the sector under a single unified umbrella. By bringing together these national associations and all of Hydrogen Europe’s members, it’s the first time ever that the entire European FCH sector is brought together with a clear and common ambition.

Restoring and maintaining the resilience of the Black Sea ecosystem, while enabling a sustainable exploitation of its natural resources is vital. A better coordination and alignment of research and innovation efforts alongside developing improved knowledge base and joint infrastructures could substantially support this timely challenge. Towards this end the Burgas Vision Paper was produced, by an initiative supported by EC, as the key framework document for a shared vision for a productive, healthy, resilient, sustainable and better-valued Black Sea by 2030. It addresses the four key pillars on which a new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and its Implementation Plan can be built on: (1) Addressing fundamental Black Sea research challenges, (2) Developing products, solutions and clusters underpinning Black Sea Blue Growth, (3) Building of critical support systems and innovative Infrastructures, (4) Education and capacity building. Building on this recently emerging policy framework, the core contribution of the Black Sea CONNECT CSA will be to scientifically, technically and logistically support the Black Sea Blue Growth Initiative towards the implementation of the Burgas Vision Paper, with a view on boosting the blue economy in the region. The overall objective is to coordinate the development of the SRIA and its implementation plan both at national and regional level. The SRIA and its implementation plan will guide stakeholders from academia, funding agencies, industry, policy and society to address together the fundamental Black Sea challenges, to promote blue growth and economic prosperity of the Black Sea region, to build critical support systems and innovative research infrastructure and to improve education and capacity building. The project will support the design of synergistic activities such as developing an operational network of funders, new transnational joint activities and achieving the knowledge transfer.

The project SkiLMeeT (Skills for labour markets in the digital and green transition) has three main objectives: 1) generate data and indicators which quantify the extent of labour and skills shortages and mismatch in Europe; 2) explore the drivers of these gaps and shortages, with a focus on the digital and green transitions; 3) analyse and identify pathways to reduce skill gaps and shortages. SkiLMeeT advances the knowledge how the work programme’s main goals can be achieved: to equip the workforce with the demanded skills, to encourage successfully the necessary reskilling and upskilling of the workforce and ultimately to realise the full potential of the digital and green transitions for Europe as a whole. To achieve these aims, SkiLMeeT builds on an inter- and transdisciplinary approach bringing together quantitative and qualitative methods. The combination of in-depth case studies and broad analyses of European economies using a rich variety of data sources ranging from survey and administrative data to big data provides highly valuable complementary insights into the nature of shortages, their drivers and pathways out. The indicators created are transparent and easily accessible. The analyses of drivers and pathways are conducted both for all European countries and for particularly relevant example countries. To validate the quantitative analyses, to explore mechanisms and to identify particularly promising pathways, we engage in extensive consultations and set up feedback loops with the research community, especially with relevant international and national research initiatives, and with stakeholders. The stakeholder consultations help to develop concrete policy proposals aimed at a thriving economy and an inclusive society. To maximise SkilMeeT’s impact, we disseminate the project’s indicators and insights, as well as concrete policy proposals to policymakers, stakeholders and the public.

COCOREADO is a project designed to rebalance the position of the farmer as an individual actor, as a key player in innovative food supply chains and as a supplier for public procurement. Based on the multi-actor approach and a deep understanding of agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS), the project applies a three-fold approach to maximize impact, relying on ambassadorship, good practices, and a focus on youth. COCOREADO will foster opportunities for young people in rural areas to co-create innovative solutions that overcome current hurdles for farmers and respond to consumer needs, while simultaneously improving the conditions for sustainable public procurement of local and seasonal food. The consortium connects key youth actors including young farmers, college youth, youth movements in an environment that offers support and encouragement to undertake action. A key tool for creating such environment is the COCOREADO Ambassador Training Program. Furthermore, the project involves both academic and close-to-farmers partners across Europe, recognising regional differences and barriers in terms of replicability of good practices and regional opportunities in terms of solutions. Active youth engagement in co-creating solutions remains at the core of the well balanced consortium including three EU-level youth organisations, and is embedded within COCOREADO’s methodologies, thus ensuring that innovative supply chains remain future-proof. COCOREADO starts with the collection of innovative initiatives that enhance the position of the farmers and improve their connection with consumers. Good practices will be assessed for their replicability and translated into educational materials. Furthermore, user-friendly decision support tools with high potential will be made accessible. Communication and dissemination of good practices and tools will focus on farmers, rural communities, policy makers, actors in the food chain such as chefs and local food processors.