The intensification of natural (extreme weather events and other climate change consequences, biological invasions) and anthropogenic (atmospheric pollution, climate change, change of land use such as the expansion of urban areas, loss of forest management practices, fragmentation of forest properties, etc.) environmental pressures still represent important threats to forests ecosystems; which have resulted in land and forest fragmentation (over 16 million owners in Europe), lack of forest sanitation, loss of forest habitat and reduction of the ecosystem services (including carbon sequestration, timber production, recreation, and biodiversity conservation)2, . The SMURF project, in line with EU’s Forest Strategy, will help promoting sustainable forest management and conserving Europe's forests, by developing a set of solutions focussing on small forest properties: (1) new tailored organizational and business models, based on Closer to Nature Sylviculture practices (CNS), promoting new ecosystem services (carbon farming and biodiversity) and the valorisation of wood/non-wood forest products (2) training, digital tools and other support structures/instruments and (3) guidelines to support policy-makers establishing regional, national and European standardized policies and retribution systems by creating a harmonized European Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) system. With a translational, multidisciplinary and multi-actor approach, thanks to its complementary and polyvalent consortium members composed of private, academia and public stakeholders, and taking into account sociocultural and geodemographic factors sometimes neglected, SMURF will provide sustainability solutions for the entire forest-based value chain.

RED-SPINEL stands for 'Respond to Emerging Dissensus: SuPranational Instruments and Norms of European democracy'. It is an interdisciplinary and intersectoral Research and Innovation Action bringing together 11 partner organisations from 8 European countries. It will jointly analyse the changing nature of dissensus surrounding liberal democracy and its implications for EU supranational policy instruments. RED-SPINEL will unpack the inter-connected drivers of contemporary dissensus surrounding liberal democracy. Its findings will be rooted in theoretical innovation and original empirical analyses. Its concept-building effort centered on the notion of 'dissensus' will explore how contemporary dissensus surrounding liberal democracy differs from previous debates and which more fundamental questions it raises about future democratic practices and the rule of law. Ultimately, RED-SPINEL will provide a typology of said dissensus, map the principal actors of the dissensus in Europe and unpack its two underlying drivers - i.e., heightened internal contestation over liberal democracy and external competition from alternative illiberal models. Empirically, RED-SPINEL will focus on the key policy instruments and legal mechanisms shaping the EU's efforts in support of democracy and the rule of law. The studied instruments include the EU rule of law toolbox, the neighborhood and accession instruments, the European semester, fundamental rights and judicial instruments, as well as citizen participation platforms. Furthermore, through a series of stakeholder events, RED-SPINEL will flesh out the implications of its findings for public policy stakeholders (i.e. legal professionals, policymakers, European youth) as well as EU instruments aimed at responding to said dissensus. The project will develop a range of scientifically informed policy recommendations and capacity-building efforts able to foster innovative democratic practices able to respond to the present-day dissensus.

ZeroPM will interlink and synergize prevention, prioritization and removal strategies to protect the environment and human health from persistent, mobile (PM) substances. To do this, ZeroPM will establish an evidence-based multilevel framework to guide policy, technological and market incentives to minimize use, emissions and pollution of entire groups of PM substances. To prevent pollution, ZeroPM will activate the momentum of the EU's Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and support its implementation through the development of scientific, policy and market tools supporting essential use and mitigation of prioritized PM substances, resulting in substitution to safe and sustainable alternatives. ZeroPM will prioritize PM substances and substance groups through the development and application of robust screening and prioritization tools aimed at identifying all PM substances on the global chemical inventory. These tools will take into consideration production, use, presence in the circular economy, hazard and risk established by advancing in silico and in vitro new approach methodologies (NAM) using non-animal approaches. ZeroPM will develop next generation remediation techniques to remove prioritized PM substances from water resources, drinking water and sludge-derived products sustainably. ZeroPM unites leading researchers, regulators and green chemistry innovation experts that have been instrumental in advancing the science and awareness of PM substances, to form an exemplary multidisciplinary team. ZeroPM will deliver policy improvements, an increase in business opportunities and competitiveness, an improved livelihood for EU citizens and beyond state of the art methods, to prevent regrettable substitution and regrettable remediation of PM substance groups. ZeroPM will be the pathfinding project enabling the ambitions of the Chemical Strategy to become an on-the-ground reality, supporting the movement towards a zero pollution, toxic-free environment.

European crop production is to remain competitive while reducing environmental impacts, requiring development and uptake of effective soil improving cropping systems. The overall aim of SOILCARE is to identify and evaluate promising soil-improving cropping systems and agronomic techniques increasing profitability and sustainability across scales in Europe. A trans-disciplinary approach will be used to evaluate benefits and drawbacks of a new generation of soil improving cropping systems, incorporating all relevant bio-physical, socio-economic and political aspects. Existing information from literature and long term experiments will be analysed to develop a comprehensive methodology for assessing performance of cropping systems at multiple levels. A multi-actor approach will be used to select promising soil-improving cropping systems for scientific evaluation in 16 study sites across Europe covering different pedo-climatic and socio-economic conditions. Implemented cropping systems will be monitored with stakeholder involvement, and will be assessed jointly with scientists. Specific attention will be paid to adoption of soil-improving cropping systems and agronomic techniques within and beyond the study sites. Results from study sites will be up-scaled to the European level to draw general lessons about applicability potentials of soil-improving cropping systems and related profitability and sustainability impacts, including assessing barriers for adoption at that scale. An interactive tool will be developed for end-users to identify and prioritize suitable soil-improving cropping systems anywhere in Europe. Current policies and incentives will be assessed and targeted policy recommendations will be provided. SOILCARE will take an active dissemination approach to achieve impact from local to European level, addressing multiple audiences, to enhance crop production in Europe to remain competitive and sustainable through dedicated soil care.