COME RES aims to facilitate the market uptake of RES in the electricity sector by supporting, with a set of specific activities, the implementation of the provisions for renewable energy communities (RECs) as defined in the new Renewable Energy Directive to be transposed in 2021. Taking a multi- and transdisciplinary approach, COME RES aids the development of RECs in nine European countries (BE, DE, IT, LV, NL, NO, PL, PT, SP). It covers different socio-technological systems including community PV, wind (onshore), storage and integrated solutions. The countries selected range from pioneers that have gained broad experience of community energy (CE) to countries that are just beginning to look at CE. COME RES analyses legal, socioeconomic, spatial and environmental characteristics, and the reasons for the slow deployment of RECs in selected target regions. Stakeholder desks consisting of the project partners and committed community, market and policy actors in each country take on the operational tasks. Both overall and specific objectives will be reached by i) analysing the potentials, barriers and drivers for RECs in the target regions, ii) carrying out stakeholder dialogues, iii) developing regional action plans and business-model proposals for target regions, iv) examining good/best practice cases that are transferable to specific local, regional and national contexts, v) initiating transfers of best practice solutions via policy labs supported by capacity development and training and vi) developing a renewable energy community platform. The consortium synchronises project activities with the transposition/implementation of the Clean Energy Package and its provisions for RECs in policy labs. Policy lessons with validity across Europe will be drawn and recommendations proposed. Over 85 stakeholders and market actors have provided letters of support expressing their commitment to support the project and implement its results.

CCRI CoPs' goal is to strengthen and complement the CCRI, in order to foster the implementation of Circular Systemic Solutions (CSS) in European cities and regions. Based on an initial scoping and needs assessment, the project will set up at least eight Communities of Practice – working groups of ambitious European cities and regions collaborating on key topics related to circular economy implementation. The project will also deepen the CCRI knowledge on circular economy, with the production of highly impactful case studies on CSS, a series of white papers on key Research & Innovation (R&I) gaps, guidance documents for practitioners at the local and regional level, as well as recommendations for EU and national policy makers, to unlock barriers faced local and regional authorities. By establishing a series of mechanisms such as capacity building sessions, study visits and a twinning program, the project will stimulate knowledge transfer, pear learning and capacity building towards an audience of cities and regions, including but not limited to CCRI Pilots and Fellows. The consortium will also provide continued support to the CCRI’s Thematic Working Groups (TWGs). All dissemination and communication activities will use the CCRI existing umbrella identity and existing communication channels. The project will endeavour to strengthen links with the European ecosystem and to promote the circular economy towards all European cities and regions. Those activities will be done in close coordination with the CCRI-CSO and DG RTD, to take advantage of potential synergies and importantly to prevent any overlaps and duplications with the work of the CSO. Led by ICLEI Europe, the project brings together 11 leading organisations active throughout Europe and with considerable expertise and experience in supporting cities and regions’ sustainability transition.

The Mission Restore our Oceans and Waters by 2030 provides a holistic and coherent framework for developing a systemic approach to the depollution and regeneration of the basin hydrosphere, which is a striking need in the Mediterranean Sea (MED). In the BlueMissionMed proposal, a multi-actor, trans-sectorial and multidisciplinary consortium, consisting of 6 R&I public institutions, 5 NGOs, 3 industrial associations and 2 SMEs from 5 MS and 2 AC of the MED, proposes to set up, structure and empower a MED Lighthouse supporting the development and deployment of transformative innovative technological, social, business and governance solutions for ensuring a 30-50% reduction of pollution of the basin hydrosphere by 2030. It will be an interactive multi-actors digital platform able to offer to all MED Countries/Regions and stakeholders to access the necessary knowledge and tools. It will build on, connect and structure existing initiatives and activities, including the 9 Pilot BLUEMED on plastics free healthy MED and will exploit the R&I and policy knowledge generated by the funded projects/initiatives on the MED decontamination and restoration, ultimately promoting basin-wide cooperation, commitment and deployment of solutions addressing the Mission objectives. The Lighthouse will also ensure i) coherence, alignment and monitoring of EU, national and local policies, initiatives and actions ongoing the MED basin; ii) an effective provision of technical services, governance and business models to support and guarantee a sustainable socio-economic development of the basin; iii) a well-functioning basin scale innovation ecosystem attractive towards investors and businesses, iv) the required engagement of the society at large, thanks to a robust awareness raising and citizen science approach in its implementation in the sea basin and beyond, and, thus, v) the effective deployment of Mission Implementation Charter and piloting of the Mission objectives for the MED by 2025.

The overall objective of WinWind is to enhance the socially inclusive and environmentally sound market uptake of wind energy by increasing its social acceptance in 'wind energy scarce regions' (WESR). The specific objectives are: screening, analysing, discussing, replicating, testing & disseminating feasible solutions for increasing social acceptance and thereby the uptake of wind energy. The proposal considers from a multidisciplinary perspective the case of WESR in DE, ES, IT, LV, PL and NO. These selected countries represent a variety of realities ranging from large (but with WESR) to very scarce wind energy penetration. WinWind analyses regional and local communities´ specificities, socioeconomic, spatial & environmental characteristics and the reasons for slow market deployment in the selected target regions. Best practices to overcome the identified obstacles are assessed and – where feasible – transferred. The operational tasks are taken up by national/regional desks consisting of the project partners, market actors and stakeholders in each country. The project´s objectives will be reached by: i) analysing the inhibiting and driving factors for acceptance, ii) developing a taxonomy of barriers to identify similarities and differences in development patterns , iii) carrying out stakeholder dialogues in all participating regions, iv) developing acceptance-promoting measures that are transferable to specific local, regional and national contexts, and v) transferring feasible best practice solutions via learning labs. WinWind develops concrete solutions. The activities focus on novel informal/voluntary procedural participation of communities, direct and indirect financial participation & benefit sharing. Finally, policy lessons with validity across Europe are drawn and recommendations proposed. Already 62 stakeholders and market actors provided letters of support showing their commitment in supporting the WindWind activities and in implementing useful results.