Together for change: A Coalition to empower communities for Mission Ocean and Waters

This event will bring together representatives from regions, cities, ports, and islands to celebrate the growing community supporting the Mission Ocean and Waters. The fully interactive session will invite participants to share their experiences and show how their actions make a difference. Building on the shared vision for restoring the ocean and waters, set out in the European Ocean Pact and the Water Resilience Strategy, the event will spotlight the communities active across the four Mission Lighthouse sea and river basins, showcasing successful initiatives, exploring the value of different forms of support and technical assistance, and discussing lessons learnt and remaining needs. As the Mission enters its second phase, focused on large-scale deployment, the essential role of local actors comes into sharper focus. The event will highlight how a coordinated approach that brings together funding, instruments, diverse stakeholders, and local initiatives can accelerate community engagement and ownership, leveraging synergies with/taking inspiration from other EU Missions and the New European Bauhaus. The event will also introduce the Coalition of waterfront cities, ports, regions, and islands as a driving force for Mission implementation.