PAPILLONS will elucidate ecological and socioeconomic sustainability of agricultural plastics (APs) in relation to releases and impacts of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in European soils. We will advance knowledge on sources, behaviour and impacts through cross-disciplinary research, bringing together scientists from chemistry, materials engineering, agronomy, soil ecology, toxicology and social sciences. We will transform the scientific knowledge generated into guidance on specific solutions by applying a Multi-actor approach, involving actors in the agricultural and policy sector and world-leading industries. This will enable co-creation of knowledge and provide the scientific background to enable policy, agricultural and industrial innovation towards sustainable farm production systems. We will deliver the first digital European atlas of AP use, management and waste production to estimate sources of MNP to agricultural soils. We will run integrative studies at laboratory, mesocosm and field scales in different parts of Europe to address: occurrence of AP-derived MNPs; MNP behaviour and transport in soil; uptake by biota and crops; long-term impacts on soil properties, fertility and ecological services; effects on biological and functional diversity across multiple scales; effects on plant production and quality; and socioeconomic impacts of AP-based practices. We will focus on multigenerational effect studies for relevant traditional and biodegradable polymers, at realistic and future high-exposure scenarios. PAPILLONS partners pioneered soil MNP research, host the majority of European analytical capacity for assessing soil contamination and will provide validated, high-throughput analysis for MNPs in soil. Using innovative applications of state-of-the-art analytical chemistry, we will advance analysis down to the nanoscale range and develop novel radiolabelled nanoplastics for accurately tracking behaviour and transport in soil and uptake by biota and crops.

The European Researchers' Night in Madrid will bring together researchers to the general public and will increase awareness of the importance and benefits of research and innovation, creating an understanding of the impact of researchers' work on citizen's daily life, and raising young people’s interest in science and research careers. The project will achieve these objectives by means of festive activities to be carried out in the Region of Madrid in the morning and evening of the last Friday and Saturday of September 2022-2023. Pre events and post events will be also organized. The Madrid Night project also includes Researchers at Schools activities throughout the year. In these activities, researchers will be visiting schools, allowing teachers and pupils to engage with them on important topics faced by our societies, such as those included in the missions in Horizon Europe: cancer, adaptation to climate change, healthy oceans, seas coastal and inland waters, climate-neutral and smart cities and soil health and food. Students and teachers will also visit the researchers’ workplaces. The MADRIDNIGHT activities will be addressed to public at large, science-addicts and science-reluctant, children, families, teachers, elderly, people regardless their scientific background with a special focus on families, pupils, and students, with the main purpose of encouraging STEM subjects and science careers, university students and also vocational education and training students. Different activities will be offered focused on the missions in Horizon Europe. The project will involve researchers, benefited by EU funds, especially the MSCA. The activities will point out the transnational and diversity aspects of research, showing the attractiveness of their jobs that can be done everywhere in Europe. Universities, research centres, museums, hospitals, NGOs, foundations and Industry (Spin offs, SME or Large Companies) in the Region of Madrid will be at the core of the project.

The project will bring together researchers to the general public and will increase awareness of research and innovation activities, with a view to supporting the public recognition of researchers. The European Researchers' Night in Madrid will bring together researchers to the general public and will increase awareness of research and innovation activities, with a view to supporting the public recognition of researchers, creating an understanding of the impact of researchers' work on citizen's daily life, and encouraging young people to embark on scientific careers. The project will implement it by means of a set of festive activities to be carried out in the Region of Madrid on the morning and evening of the last Friday of September. The activities will be addressed to public at large, science-addicts and science-reluctant, children, families, teachers, elderly, people regardless their scientific background with a special focus on young people: secondary and primary school students with the main purpose of encouraging STEM subjects and science careers, university students and also vocational education and training students. The event will involve researchers, benefited by EU funds, especially the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). Their presence in the activities at the European corners will point out the transnational and diversity aspects of research, showing the attractiveness of their jobs that can be done everywhere in Europe. Regional and Academic authorities, stakeholders and managers from universities, research centres, museums, hospitals, NGOs, foundations and industry (Spin offs, SME or Large Companies) in the Region of Madrid will be at the core of the project.

AQUACROSS aims to support EU efforts to enhance the resilience and stop the loss of biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems as well as to ensure the ongoing and future provision of aquatic ecosystem services. It focuses on advancing the knowledge base and application of the ecosystem-based management concept for aquatic ecosystems by developing cost effective measures and integrated management practices. AQUACROSS considers the EU policy framework (i.e. goals, concepts, time frames) for aquatic ecosystems and builds on knowledge stemming from different sources (i.e. WISE, BISE, Member State reporting, modelling) to develop innovative management tools, concepts, and business models (i.e. indicators, maps, ecosystem assessments, participatory approaches, mechanisms for promoting the delivery of ecosystem services) for aquatic ecosystems at various scales. It thereby provides an unprecedented effort to unify policy concepts, knowledge, and management concepts of freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems to support the cost-effective achievement of the targets set out by the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy.

Water is central to all human activities, to all components of the EU Green Deal and to several UN SDGs. The Water4All Partnership aims at enabling water security for all on the long term through boosting systemic transformations and changes across the entire research – water innovation pipeline, fostering the matchmaking between problem owners and solution providers. It gathers more than 70 partners, R&I funders, environment ministries, local authorities, European, national and regional-scale networks, research performing organisations. It will collaborate with other relevant R&I initiatives. Water4All proposes a portfolio of multi-national, cross-sectoral activities, targeting a variety of actors, intending to generate the following outputs: - Strengthen the water R&I collaboration at European and international levels, across at least 31 countries, notably through Joint Transnational Calls - Coordinate and leverage the activities of the Water R&I community - Support and promote the demonstration and access to market of innovative solutions - Produce, share and better communicate water-related knowledge & data, from local to global scales - Enhance talent development of water R&I professionals - Foster capacity development and life-long training of water policy-makers, stakeholders and civil society - Design & implement approaches for participatory development of innovation Water4All will run its activities across 7 themes of its strategic agenda: water for circular economy; water for ecosystems and biodiversity; sustainable water management; water and health; water infrastructure; international cooperation; water governance. Water4All’s outputs will contribute to: - Deliver sound knowledge, tools and evidence basis on water for policy- & decision-making - Improve consideration of water impacts in all relevant policies - Enhance the field/market use of innovative solutions to water challenges - Increase citizens’ awareness and engagement for an inclusive water