COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS EU Missions two years on: assessment of progress and way forward
Date: 2023-07-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission
Subjects: EU action, adaptation to climate change, cancer, carbon neutrality, diffusion of innovations, environmental protection, ocean, research and development, smart city, soil protection

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 19.7.2023  COM(2023) 457 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS   EU Missions two years on: assessment of progress and way forward {SWD(2023) 260 final}  
 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS  

EU Missions two years on: assessment of progress and way forward 

1.  A NOVEL INSTRUMENT IN HORIZON EUROPE 

The  EU  is  facing  unprecedented  challenges,  in  a  context  of  rapid  change  and 
multiplying  threats  but  also  opportunities.  There  is  a  pressing  need  for  innovative 
solutions to these challenges, which include the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, 
climate  change  impacts,  environmental  degradation,  health  emergencies,  demographic 
pressures,  and  growing  inequalities.  The  EU’s  ability  to  address  them  will  shape  our 
collective future, but  also perceptions of the effectiveness  of our democratic system and its 
values. 

Mission-based  public  policy  is  a  novel  and  promising  approach  to  tackling  societal 
challenges. It involves setting ambitious and specific yet attainable goals and directing public 
and private resources, research and innovation (R&I) efforts, and public engagement towards 
meeting them within a specified timeframe. The approach was pioneered in Horizon Europe1, 
the  EU’s  funding  programme  for  research  and  innovation  (R&I),  as  part  of  its  expanded 
toolbox of instruments.  

EU Missions complement and build on conventional R&I in several unique ways. They 
aim to achieve concrete and tangible societal outcomes, whereas most other instruments are 
aimed at scientific and/or economic impacts. In addition to providing R&I financial support, 
they  also  coordinate  with  relevant  regulatory  and  policy  aspects.  They  have  longer-term, 
decadal time horizons that are nevertheless fixed. This focuses efforts and triggers a rush to 
the finish. They focus strongly on the engagement of citizens and stakeholders from the start, 
making  technology  acceptance  and  inclusiveness  an  integral  part  of  the  model.  Although 
rooted  in  R&I,  they  transcend  basic  and  applied  research  to  take  a  broad  approach  to 
innovation  (including  social  and  organisational)  and  valorise  existing  knowledge,  tying 
together the full range of activities of Horizon Europe. Missions do not prescribe the means 
to  reach  their  objectives,  which  makes  them  cross-disciplinary  by  design,  requiring  a 
portfolio  approach  that  engenders  synergies  and  complementarities  in  the  development  and 
deployment of solutions. 

Horizon  Europe  identified  five  Mission  Areas  where  challenges  could  be  effectively 
addressed in a mission-based approach. These Areas are: Adaptation to Climate Change, 
including  Societal  Transformation;  Cancer;  Healthy  Oceans,  Seas,  Coastal  and  Inland 
Waters; Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities; and Soil Health and Food. The Commission has so 

1 See Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing 
Horizon Europe, Recital 2. 

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far  launched  five  EU  Missions2,  based  on  reports  from  dedicated  Mission  Boards  that 
assessed the maturity of technological and social innovation in these areas. For each Mission, 
detailed  Mission  Implementation  Plans  were  drafted,  using  the  Mission  criteria  of  the 
Horizon Europe legal base as starting point.  

The Horizon Europe Regulation3 requires an assessment of EU Missions no later than 
in  2023.  This  assessment  is  as  much  one  of  the  individual  Missions  as  of  the  Missions 
instrument as such, and a review of the Mission Areas. The Staff Working Document (SWD) 
accompanying this Communication presents the results of this assessment and provides ‘self-
assessments’ for each Mission organised around the following criteria:  

  An ambitious yet realistic Mission goal;  
  Added value;  
  R&I content;  
  Ensuring implementation is feasible, measurable, and time-bound;  
  Securing buy-in;  
  Budget;  
  Citizens and stakeholder engagement;  
  Progress, achievements and milestones.  

The assessment of the selection process also identified gaps and triggered reflections on the 
possibility of launching additional Missions across the five Areas. This Communication sets 
out the main findings of a thorough assessment of EU Missions and sketches the way forward 
for this instrument. 

2.  MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS THUS FAR 

Less  than  two  years  into  implementation,  the  current  five  EU  Missions  have 
individually and collectively proven their potential. This section provides an overview of 
the main achievements identified in the assessment for each of the five current Missions, as 
well as an overall assessment of the positive lessons learnt. The next section focuses on the 
limitations identified and proposes actions to address them and further develop and improve 
the Missions instrument in the next years. 

2.1. Adaptation to Climate Change  

The Mission aims at supporting at least 150 European regions to become climate resilient 
by 2030. The Mission was developed in parallel with the EU Adaptation Strategy4 and ties in 
with  the  Strategy’s  goal  of  a  climate  resilient  Europe  by  2050.  It  is  designed  to  help 
accelerate  adaptation  to  climate  change  and  instigate  transformational  change  in  Europe, 

2 COM(2021) 609 final. 
3 Articles 8 (5) and 11 of the Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 
April 2021 establishing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying down 
its  rules  for  participation  and  dissemination,  and  repealing  Regulations  (EU)  No  1290/2013  and  (EU)  No 
1291/2013, OJ L 170, 12.5.2021. 
4 COM(2021) 82 final. 

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contributing to more systemic policymaking based on the latest knowledge, technologies and 
data generated by R&I.  

More specifically, it is helping regions and local authorities by providing direct support and 
by facilitating access to  knowledge in three areas:  1) to better understand the climate risks 
they are and will be exposed to; 2) to define pathways to climate resilience for at least 150 
regions by experimenting with different futures; and 3) to build resilience with at least 75 
large scale demonstration projects. 

Since  the  Mission’s  launch  in  September  2021,  308  regional  and  local  authorities  have 
signed the Mission Charter, demonstrating a clear political commitment to work towards the 
Mission’s  objectives.  In  January  2023  the  Mission  Implementation  Platform,  which 
provides  technical  assistance  to  regions,  and  the  Mission’s  community  of  practice  were 
launched. Together with  the European  Investment  Bank (EIB), the Mission  started to  reach 
out to regions to identify a pipeline of bankable adaptation projects. In collaboration with 
DG JRC and the EIT Climate KIC, adaptation innovation pathways are being developed, 
building on smart specialisation and the partnerships for regional innovation. 

The  first  Horizon  Europe  Mission  projects  are  helping  regional  and  local  authorities  to 
carry out climate risk and vulnerability assessments, demonstrate innovative solutions (such 
as  flood-proof  buildings,  more  drought  resistant  crops,  and  innovative  insurance 
products) or support them with tools to engage their citizens in a participatory way. For the 
demonstration  projects  that  meet  the  selection  criteria  but  cannot  be  prioritised,  a  Seal  of 
Excellence is awarded to facilitate their uptake by other funding programmes. 

2.2. Cancer 

The Cancer Mission has set the overall goal of improving the lives of more than 3 million 
people  by  2030,  through  prevention,  cure  and  for  those  affected  by  cancer  including  their 
families,  to  live  longer  and  better.  The  Mission  focuses  on  four  specific  objectives:  (1) 
provide a better understanding of cancer, (2) increase prevention, including by screening and 
early detection, (3) improve diagnosis and treatment, and (4) increase the quality of life for 
patients and their families. 

The Mission on Cancer is a major component of the EU’s investment in cancer research and 
innovation is key for a successful delivery of the Cancer Plan and many of its key actions, as 
part of a strong European Health Union. To facilitate integration of R&I and health policies, 
the Cancer Mission and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan5 were co-developed from the start. 
Their  objectives  are  aligned,  complementary  flagship  initiatives  were  agreed,  and  a  joint 
governance was established.  

At  EU  level,  the  Cancer  Mission  and  the  Cancer  Plan  have  fostered  a  new  dialogue  with 
Member  States  on  cancer  and  brought  together  health  and  research  ministries  to  work 
together in a joint cancer subgroup of the Expert Group on Public Health6. This is creating 

5 COM/2021/44 final 
6 https://health.ec.europa.eu/latest-updates/commission-expert-group-public-health-2022-12-08_en 

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the  right  environment  for  research  evidence  to  systematically  inform  policy  development. 
The Cancer Mission facilitated the early involvement of the Expert Group on Public Health 
which  helped  shaping  the  updated  Council  Recommendation  on  cancer  screening7, 
extending  screening  to  prostate,  lung,  and  gastric  cancer  beyond  breast,  colorectal  and 
cervical  cancer.  By  replicating  this  integrated  approach  to  health  and  research  policies,  the 
recently  launched  National  Cancer  Mission  Hubs  will  foster  cross-policy  dialogues  with 
national stakeholders on cancer prevention and control. 

The  Mission  is  playing  a  key  role  in  enabling  the  development  of  the  UNCAN.eu,  a 
European  data hub  on  cancer,  to  help  researchers  analyse  combined  research,  health  and 
other  relevant  data  at  an  unprecedented  scale,  boosting  the  robustness  of  data  and  creating 
new research opportunities. The Mission is also enabling other EU initiatives: it supports the 
European Cancer Patient Digital Centre, which will enable patients to share their data and 
better  ‘navigate’  the  health  systems,  translate  the  future  European  Health  Data  Space  into 
tangible  benefits  for  researchers  and  citizens.  In  addition,  a  dialogue  with  young  cancer 
survivors  has  been  launched,  giving  them  a  space  to  share  their  experience,  express  their 
specific needs, and co-create initiatives that will help address them. 

2.3. Restore our Oceans and Waters by 2030 

The  Mission’s  goal  is  to  reconcile  the  protection  and  restoration  of  marine  and 
freshwater ecosystems  with the  increasing pressures on aquatic resources. The Mission 
directly  contributes  to  making  the  EU  a  front-runner  in  the  transition  to  a  sustainable  and 
circular blue economy and to drive the new wave of innovations this transition requires. 

As  an  inclusive,  systemic  and  transformative  initiative  that  bundles  existing  efforts  at  EU, 
national and regional levels, the Mission contributes to overcoming fragmented governance 
frameworks  and  supports  key  EU  legislation  and  policies8  in  marine,  maritime  and 
freshwater domains as well as related fields. 

The Mission has set up four Mission ‘lighthouses’9 in major European sea and river basins 
as  sites  to  pilot,  demonstrate  and  deploy  at  scale  the  needed  solutions,  making  them 
available  to  over  100  European  associated  regions.  More  than  480  actions  were  pledged 
under  the  Mission’s  Charter,  mobilising  a  total  of  EUR  3.72  billion10.  By  endorsing  the 
Charter, Member States, regions, local authorities, international partners11 and many different 
stakeholders  are  expressing  strong  political  support,  taking  concrete  measures  and 

7  https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/12/09/council-updates-its-recommendation-to-
screen-for-cancer/  
8 Such as the Nature Restoration Law proposal, the Outermost Regions Strategy, the Arctic strategy, the Algae 
Strategy, the EU Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries. 
9  These  are:  the  Atlantic  and  Arctic  basin  lighthouse;  the  Baltic  and  North  Sea  basin  lighthouse;  the 
Mediterranean Sea basin lighthouse and the Danube River basin lighthouse. 
10 Mission Ocean and Waters Charter is a simple, inclusive and inspirational framework, calling for concrete 
actions  to  enhance  cooperation  to  deliver  on  Mission  objectives.  It  is  open  to  any  public  or  private  interested 
parties.  Mission  actions  cover  R&I,  knowledge  and  data,  citizen  engagement,  upscaling/deployment  of 
solutions, education and training. 
11 Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Declaration, June 2022. 

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mobilising bottom-up actions and resources. Key communities of actors (e.g. ports, fleet 
owners,  coastal  cities,  islands,  fishing  and  conservation  communities)  are  being  established 
under  the  Mission  lighthouses  to  bring  together  coastal  cities,  islands,  fishing  and 
conservation communities, ports, and fleet owners. An Implementation Platform has been 
launched to provide support to the stakeholders committed to implement the Mission. 

One  way  of  reaching  out  to  stakeholders  is  the European  Digital  Twin  of  the  Ocean  that 
will  be  operational  in  2024.  It  makes  ocean  knowledge  readily  available  to  citizens, 
entrepreneurs,  scientists,  and  policymakers,  thus  allowing  predictions  and  informed 
decisions.  The  Mission 
implementing  participatory  approaches  and  citizen 
engagement  such  as  citizen  science  and  ocean  literacy  actions,  community-led  ventures  for 
ocean farming and responsible sea-product consumption campaigns. 

is  also 

The  Mission  is  acting  as  a  catalyst  for  synergies  and  complementarities  across  different 
EU, national and regional programmes, already pooling funds beyond R&I namely EMFAF12 
national  plans,  BlueInvest  with  EUR  1.5  billion  in  risk  finance,  Recovery  and  Resilience 
Funds, Interreg and Copernicus. 

2.4. 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030 

The Mission’s two goals are to achieve 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030 and 
to  ensure  that  these  cities  also  act  as  experimentation  and  innovation  hubs  to  put  all 
European cities in a position to become climate-neutral by 2050. Interest in the Mission 
has been strong from the start with more than 377 cities applying to join the Mission.  

The  Mission  has  created  a  community  of  ambitious  cities.13  Supported  by  the  Mission 
Platform,  participating  cities  have  access  to  an  online  portal  that  allows  them  to  work  in 
groups,  exchange  experience  and  access  a  knowledge  repository  to  accelerating  climate-
neutral solutions. Currently, the portal has more than 1400 active users. 

The  Mission  is  inclusive  engaging  all  EU  Member  States  and  eight  associated  countries. 
Member  States  are  being  engaged  systematically  via  country  visits  and  the  CapaCITIES 
project14,  which  supports  national  networks  and  connects  them  with  each  other.  All  cities 
have started to co-create their Climate City Contract (CCC) with the local community and 
citizens, supported by dedicated City Advisors. 

The  EIB  supports  Mission  actions  including  targeted  awareness  raising  for  cities  and  a 
contribution  to  the  CCC  review  process.  53  pilot  cities15  were  selected  to  receive  grants 
(between 0.5 and 1.5 million EUR) to develop innovative solutions to address the challenges 
of  climate  transition.  Another  50  cities  will  soon  benefit  from  the  work  done  in  the  pilot 
projects through exchange of experience and mentoring with the pilot cities. 

12 European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 
13 100 cities from Member States and 12 cities from countries associated to Horizon 2020. 
14 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101056927  
15 https://netzerocities.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Pilot-Cities-Announcement-Press-Release-Mar-2023-
Final.pdf  

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Urban regeneration is at the core of a joint Horizon Europe call organised between the Cities 
Mission and the Climate Change Adaptation Mission. A dedicated Horizon Europe action is 
also  making  it  possible  for  Ukrainian  cities  be  associated  to  the  Mission.  Synergies  have 
been established with EU programmes and initiatives, including the European Innovation 
Council (EIC), the Connecting Europe Facility, the LIFE Strategic Integrated Projects and the 
Urban Innovative Actions16. 

Many  Member  States  or  regions  are  referring  to  the  Cities  Mission  in  their  regional 
operational programmes and dedicated funding streams at national level have been identified 
for  example  in  Greece  and  Spain.  The  Mission  has  also  a  joint  call  in  the  Horizon  Europe 
work programme 2023-2024 with the Partnerships for zero emission mobility (2Zero) and for 
Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) with a combined budget of EUR 
50  million.  An  Urban  Transitions  Centre,17  supports  the  Cities  Mission’s  international 
outreach activities and links to the global Urban Transitions Mission of Mission Innovation.  

2.5. A Soil Deal for Europe 

With its goal of establishing 100 Living Labs and Lighthouses by 2030, the Mission aims 
to deliver solutions for the sustainable management and restoration of soils in rural and urban 
areas. About 60% of EU soils are considered unhealthy18, i.e. are losing their capacity to 
support food production, biodiversity and the regulation of water, nutrient and carbon cycles. 
Together with the Soil Strategy for 2030, the proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and 
Resilience, and the EU Soil Observatory, the Mission forms part of a solid framework for soil 
protection and restoration, as also acknowledged by the European Parliament19.  

A dozen EU Green Deal strategies, communications and action plans have identified the 
Mission as a tool to deliver on their policy ambitions20. The Mission receives support from 
sources  such  as  the  LIFE  programme  and  the  Circular  Bioeconomy  Europe  Joint 
Undertaking21, PRIMA22 and the EIC. By promoting soil education, the Mission is supporting 
the  European  Year  of  Skills.  To  leverage  additional  financial  resources,  the  EIB  is 
developing a pipeline for large-scale soil investments in connection with InvestEU.  

Overall, Member States have reported more than 200 complementary activities in support of 
the  Mission’s  objectives.  The  Mission  is  integrated  in  18  out  of  28  Member  State 

16 https://www.urban-initiative.eu/innovative-actions-greening-cities 
17 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/local-action-global-
impact-urban-transitions-mission-centre-starts-its-activities-2022-12-13_en 
18 https://esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu/esdacviewer/euso-dashboard/ 
19 European Parliament resolution of 28 April 2021 on soil protection (2021/2548(RSP). 
20  Farm  to  Fork  Strategy;  Biodiversity  Strategy  for  2030;  Strategy  on  Adaptation  to  Climate  Change;  Forest 
Strategy for 2030; Zero Pollution Action Plan for air, water and soil; Action plan for the development of organic 
production in the EU; A long-term Vision for the EU's Rural Areas; EU Soil Strategy for 2030; Communication 
on sustainable carbon cycles; Communication “Safeguarding food security and reinforcing the resilience of food 
systems”;  Communication  “Ensuring availability and affordability of  fertilisers”;  Legislative Framework  for a 
Union Sustainable Food System (FSFS); Communication on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “Save bees 
and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment”. 
21 https://www.cbe.europa.eu/ 
22 https://prima-med.org/ 

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Strategic  Plans  under  the  Common  Agricultural  Policy  (CAP)23,  thereby  creating  links 
between innovations in soil management, farming practices and the allocation of CAP funds. 
These synergies will allow to deploy and replicate solutions developed under the Mission in 
more than  1,000 additional  testing sites.  Under  the Mission,  regional  and local  authorities 
are developing  Territorial  Soil Management Agreements for soil health.  A Mission Soil 
Platform24 acts as a one-stop shop for information and engagement in Mission activities. 

The Mission is advancing harmonised soil monitoring in the EU and is developing strategies 
for  soil  decontamination  and  regeneration  as  well  as  new  business  models  for  soil 
friendly and climate neutral value chains. Through its support to carbon farming, the Soil 
Mission  promotes  cost-competitive  monitoring,  reporting,  and  verification  tools  for  soil 
carbon removals.  

The first Living Labs under the Mission will start in 2024 and will result in more than 200 
testing sites for local experimentation in urban and rural areas. The Mission is reaching out to 
various  audiences  in  novel  ways,  e.g.  by  involving  cultural  and  creative  industries  and 
promoting  the  Mission  Manifesto25.  Looking  beyond  Europe,  the  Mission  has  become  a 
major  flagship  for  international  cooperation  with  the  Global  Soil  Partnership26,  the 
Agriculture  Innovation  Mission  for  Climate  initiative27,  or  with  international  R&I  partners 
such as Japan, U.S., Canada and African countries. 

2.6. Overall assessment of EU Missions 

This sub-section summarises the assessment from the perspective of the Mission instrument 
as  such,  drawing  some  horizontal  conclusions  across  the  five  Missions  on  the  aspects 
required by the legal base: selection process, governance, budget, focus and progress to date. 
Since their inception, EU Missions have demonstrated a clear potential to accelerate change. 
With  the  help  of  Horizon  Europe  funding,  EU  Missions  have  connected  and  supported 
policies  and  programmes  across  the  EU  with  local  public  engagement  and  implementation. 
The  assessment  confirms  that  Missions  are  timely  and  inspirational  initiatives  that  provide 
new impetus to important EU policy priorities and help align EU, national, regional and local 
policy efforts towards shared goals.  

Selection  process:  The  assessment  finds  that  the  year-long  Mission  development  process 
offered  valuable  opportunities  to  leading  experts  and  a  wide  range  of  stakeholders  to 
participate  in  the  co-creation  of  Missions,  for  instance  through  their  involvement  in  the 
Mission Boards and citizen panels. It also confirmed the continued relevance of the Mission 
Areas and of the EU Missions themselves.  

Governance:  Each  Mission  includes  EU-level  governance  mechanisms.  Governance  is 
particularly important for a new instrument, and more so for one of this complexity, which is 

23 https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/cap-my-country/cap-strategic-plans_en 
24 https://mission-soil-platform.ec.europa.eu/ 
25 By mid-June 2023 the Manifesto had over 1400 signatories, including 100 public and private institutions.  
26 https://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/en/ 
27 https://www.aimforclimate.org/  

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meant to bring together different constituencies, levels of government, scientific disciplines, 
and  funding  sources.  These  mechanisms  include  dedicated  cross-sectoral  steering  and 
coordination bodies that enable new forms of collaboration across Commission services and 
across  levels  of  government.  Mission  Managers  and  Deputy  Mission  Managers  were 
appointed  to  steer  each  Mission  with  the  support  of  Mission  secretariats.  Two  waves  of 
Mission  Boards  were  selected  to  provide  strategic  advice  and  expertise  (one  for  the  design 
phase and one for implementation). There has also been important progress on governance at 
national  level:  several  Member  States  established  inter-ministerial  taskforces  and  national 
mirror  groups  to  better  liaise  with  the  Commission  on  national  implementation.  Member 
States  have  also  mobilised  EU  programmes  under  shared  management  in  support  of  the 
Missions. The assessment also found that the Mission governance is breaking organisational 
silos and bringing different organisations closer together in pursuit of the shared, timebound 
goals. 

Budget:  Important  investments  have  been  made  under  the  Horizon  Europe  programme  to 
enable the development of knowledge and innovative solutions to help meet the goals set by 
the EU Missions.  So far, the European Commission  has made available a total  of EUR 1.8 
billion  in  two  subsequent  work  programmes  (WPs  2021-2022  and  WP  2023-2024), 
corresponding  to  10%  of  the  Horizon  Europe  Pillar  2  budget  for  the  years  2021-23.  All 
Missions  have  managed  to  get  some  level  of  interest  and  commitments  from  sources  of 
funding beyond Horizon Europe, including the private sector (mostly via the EIB). 

Focus  and  progress  to  date:  The  high  number  of  citizen  engagement  initiatives  organised 
during the preparatory design phase of the Missions helped to build societal ownership and 
encourage broad engagement of relevant stakeholder communities. The assessment suggests 
that  through  a  strict  focus  on,  and  close  alignment  with,  EU  policies  and  strategies,  the 
Missions are contributing to them in a worthwhile way. Beyond the EU level, EU Missions 
have managed to gather large stakeholder communities, including by building and engaging 
communities  at  the  regional  and  local  levels.  In  addition,  the  assessment  suggests  that  the 
Missions are overall progressing in line with their implementation plans and appear to be on 
track to achieve their 2030 targets. 

3.  OUTSTANDING CHALLENGES AND IMPROVEMENTS 

As  a  novel  instrument,  Missions  need  political  support  as  well  as  continuity  and 
predictability,  but  also  genuine  evaluation  and 
improvement.  The  assessment 
acknowledges these limitations, and the Commission is committed to addressing them, given 
that the initial promise of the Missions instrument has remained strong, and the five Missions 
show signs of working well. The recommendations in this section are the result of a reflection 
among Commission services, Mission Board Chairs and Mission Managers. 

In addition to the encouraging early achievements outlined above, EU Missions are also 
facing a number of important challenges. There are several areas in which improvements 
can  be  made,  including  the  sometimes-cumbersome  governance  setup,  the  rather  limited 
leverage so far of funding beyond Horizon Europe, the suboptimal synergies with other EU 
instruments,  the  low  involvement  of  the  private  sector,  and  communication  efforts  and 

8 

 
 
 
 
outreach to stakeholders and citizens. All Missions have taken steps to address these issues, 
but additional effort – also on a horizontal level – are necessary. Addressing these challenges 
will  only  grow  more  important  as  Mission  implementation  moves  along  and  the  focus 
increasingly shifts to deployment and impact. 

3.1. Improve the governance and political steer 

EU Missions need sound steering and a strong governance system to be effective. While 
the assessment has shown that the system set up for EU Missions is promoting links across 
policy  domains  and  across  organisations,  a  number  of  other  governance  functions  can  be 
improved. The governance system is perceived by many stakeholders as being cumbersome, 
complex and lacking transparency. In addition, the governance system has not yet arrived at a 
coherent,  consistent  monitoring  system  for  the  Missions,  both  individually  and  as  an 
instrument.  The  governance  system  is  strongly  focused  on  implementation  and  currently 
lacks  a  space  for  analysis  and  reflection  on  (lack  of)  progress  and  further  instrument  and 
policy  development.  The  governance  system  also  lacks  sufficient  room  for  high-level 
political discussions on progress and for re-orientation where needed. 

A strengthened and better coordinated administrative governance is necessary to enable 
Missions  to  be  effective.  This  type  of  ambitious,  whole-of-government  initiatives  like  EU 
Missions require the development of large-scale and cross-policy synergies over long periods 
and  across  the  EU,  national,  regional  and  local  levels  in  order  to  succeed.  For  example, 
coordination  mechanisms  between  EU-level  Mission  representatives  and  national,  regional 
and  local  level  authorities  should  be  reinforced  to  ensure  Missions’  efforts  are  deployed  as 
close as possible to EU citizens. It is also clear that strengthened political leadership should 
act  as  a  clear  signal  to  facilitate  access  to  resources  (including  funding)  and  actions  to 
progress  towards  the  Mission  objectives.  The  steering  of  EU  Missions  should  therefore  be 
further strengthened at the administrative level. 

The Commission will: 

 

 

Invite  all  political  actors  involved,  including  the  Member  States,  to  nominate  high 
level  representatives  to  join  the  Commissioners  responsible  for  the  respective  EU 
Missions in promoting Missions to citizens, mobilising national funds etc. 
Intensify discussions, notably with Member States, on how to streamline EU Mission 
governance to make it more efficient, inclusive, and effective.  

  Significantly  invest  in  strengthening  joint  support  functions  (‘back  office’)  for  all 
current  and  future  EU  Missions  and  to  address  the  limitations  identified  in  this 
Communication.  
Initiate  a  yearly  debate  on  the  implementation  of  the  EU  Missions  in  the  thematic 
Council  formations  and  European  Parliament  committees  relevant  for  each  EU 
Mission. 

 

9 

 
 
 
 
3.2. Secure more and better co-investment, including from the private sector 

A broader portfolio of instruments needs to be mobilised, with the Horizon Europe calls 
serving  only  as  seed  funding  and  orchestrators  rather  than  the  main  instruments  of 
deployment.  The  integrated  approach  to  Missions  requires  strong  co-ownership  across  the 
Commission  and the Union, involving all relevant  actors and stakeholders, including in  the 
use of their funding instruments, as Missions need to cover the full innovation chain from lab 
to  deployment  at  scale.  The  interdisciplinary  nature  of  the  governance  mechanisms  offers 
ample  opportunities  for  building  synergies  between  the  EU  Missions  and  other  parts  of 
Horizon  Europe,  the  EU  Missions  and  other  EU  instruments  and  the  EU  Missions  and 
national, regional and local policies and funding programmes. The evidence gathered in this 
assessment shows that these opportunities have not yet been fully exploited. 

Member States’ programming of EU funding needs to be aligned more closely with the 
EU Missions. This is an integral element of synergy building, for instance by making more 
systematic use of Cohesion policy for the EU Missions. Diversifying funding and financing 
sources  to  support  a  pipeline  of  activities  from  research  to  deployment  is  therefore  another 
key  challenge.  For  this  purpose,  very  close  contacts  between  the  Commission  services  and 
the Member States’ managing and implementing authorities should be established. 

EU Missions’ implementation is so far primarily funded by Horizon Europe and other 
sources  of  public  funding.  Yet,  to  achieve  full  impact  by  2030  these  funds  need  to  be 
complemented  by  significant  investments  from  the  private  sector  and  philanthropic 
organisations to ensure the deployment and replication of solutions at scale. While efforts are 
being made in this direction, the level of investment and involvement of these actors should 
be boosted. 

Increased  cooperation  with  the  EIB  is  crucial  to  achieving  the  EU  Missions’  goals. 
Throughout  their  preparatory  and  implementation  stages,  EU  Missions  have  been  working 
closely with the EIB, which has provided advisory services to support the development of the 
investment  agendas  of  the  Missions  Implementation  Plans.  This  collaboration  should  be 
scaled  up,  particularly  considering  the  strong  alignment  of  several  Missions’  goals  and  the 
EIB’s objectives. 

More  effort  is  needed  to  raise  the  interest  of  the  private  sector  in  the  EU  Missions’ 
activities. The use of innovative instruments designed for the private sector, such as public 
procurement of innovation, has not been fully explored. Moreover, experience has shown that 
engaging  with  the  European  Partnerships,  and  in  particular  those  with  strong  industry 
involvement,  are  effective ways  to  raise industry’s interest  in  EU policy priorities and how 
they  can  contribute  to  them.  Joint  calls  between  EU  Missions  and  some  of  the  co-
programmed  European  Partnerships  have  already  been  launched.  The  launch  of  Mission-
oriented  and  Mission-linked  calls  within  the  framework  of  existing  and  future  European 
Partnerships  would  open  more  opportunities  for  engagement  with  industry.  This  will  be 
complemented  by  a  structured  dialogue  with  main  interest  groupings  of  both  industry  and 
philanthropic organisations. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
The Commission will: 

 

Intensify the work on EU Mission portfolio building and management to provide the 
Mission Managers with intelligent monitoring and intervention tools. 

  Mobilise  a  broader  portfolio  of  instruments,  including  public-private  partnerships 

 

 

and the public procurement of innovation. 
Intensify  discussions  on  alignment  of  Member  States’  programming  of  EU  funding 
with the EU Missions. 
Invite recommendations and advice on how to increase private sector involvement in, 
and contribution to, the EU Missions. 

3.3. Enhance citizen and stakeholder engagement 

Achieving the goals of individual EU Missions (and in general the ambitions of the EU) 
will ultimately hinge on the broad public support and acceptance of the necessary green 
and  digital  transitions.  While  the  involvement  of  stakeholders  directly  engaged  in  the 
Missions  has  been  quite  effective,  there  is  still  scope  for  further  incentivising  broader 
awareness across the general public and direct engagement of civil society organisations and 
social partners, thereby living up to the promise and potential of Missions. Additional efforts 
are  needed  to  raise  awareness  on  Mission  goals  and  impact,  to  strengthen  stakeholder 
feedback mechanisms and to increase the visibility of the Missions and their concrete actions 
on  the  ground.  To  this  end,  communication  efforts  need  to  be  significantly  stepped-up 
towards relevant stakeholder groups and individual citizens.  

There  is  still  a  lack  of  awareness  on  the  benefits  and  potential  of  EU  Missions  as  an 
instrument in the public. This is in spite of the relative success of individual EU Missions, 
who  have  been  active  in  communication  and  awareness  raising  and  in  engaging  affected 
stakeholder  communities.  Brand  visibility  for  Missions  as  an  instrument  facilitates 
engagement  of  individual  ones.  The  active  and  continued  involvement  of  the  European 
Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of Regions is 
also critical to increase public awareness and mobilise citizens. 

The  Commission  will  step  up  the  use  of  targeted  actions  to  jointly  support  Missions, 
including on awareness raising and communication. It will also strengthen the monitoring 
system  for  assessing  progress  in  EU  Mission  implementation  in  a  more  quantitative  and 
easier to comprehend manner. It will also prepare policy advice on the future of EU Missions, 
including on transition  strategies towards the next  EU long  term  budget. The  experience of 
the  current  assessment,  de  facto  very  early  in  the  lifetime  of  Missions,  has  shown  the 
importance  of  a  continuous  overview  of  implementation  parameters.  The  Commission 
commits to producing a further assessment report on the implementation of EU Missions in 
2025  to  take  stock  of  progress,  assess  the  adequacy  of  funding,  identify  achievements  for 
future dissemination and replicate of innovative solutions coming from Missions. 

The Commission will: 

  Further  engage  with  communication  professionals  as  regards  a  strategy  for  a  more 

citizen-based approach to EU Missions.  

11 

 
 
 
 
  Undertake  targeted  actions  to  support  local  and  national  communication  efforts  to 

boost citizen engagement and raise public awareness of EU Missions. 
  Publish a new report on the implementation of EU Missions in 2025.  
  Organise  a  public  debate  on  the  implementation  reports.  to  draw  lessons,  discuss 

progress, and communicate achievements of the EU Missions.  

4.  RENEWED IMPETUS 

The current five EU Missions have achieved substantial reach on the ground and will work 
further  to  consolidate  and  tackle  remaining  challenges.  However,  the  assessment  has  also 
highlighted  the  opportunity  to  expand  the  Missions  portfolio,  and  the  need  to  reaffirm 
political and financial support for the instrument. 

4.1. Launching a new EU Mission on New European Bauhaus 

More than two years after its launch, the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative28 has 
made  significant  progress  on  its  goal  of  connecting  the  European  Green  Deal  to  our 
living  spaces  and  experiences.  It  has  its  own  Community  of  over  1,000  members  active 
across Europe and beyond, an advisory group made up of esteemed figures in the worlds of 
architecture,  culture,  design,  and  sustainability.  And  it  is  inspiring  bottom-up  projects  and 
initiatives that test and demonstrate NEB ideas and actions.  

The  New  European  Bauhaus  already  shares  several  characteristics  with  the  EU 
Missions.  The  current  assessment  exercise  and  the  challenges  it  identified,  as  well  as 
reflections in the NEB community and calls from the European Parliament29 indicate that it is 
now opportune for the NEB initiative to consolidate its progress, to consolidate its focus and 
rooting in R&I, and to gain focus in the form of a new dedicated EU Mission. 

The  launch  of  a  dedicated  NEB  Mission  will  follow  the  same  process  as  the  first  five. 
This  includes  the  appointment  of  a  Mission  Board,  and  the  drafting  of  a  Mission 
Implementation Plan, both of which will help define the exact targets and milestones of the 
Mission,  as  was  the  case  for  the  first  five.  This  would  consider  the  achievements  and 
potential of the New European Bauhaus initiative so far, as well as the assessment of the EU 
Missions. 

The new Mission would complement and advance the work of the existing Missions. For 
example, the Missions  on  Adaptation  to Climate Change and  on  Climate-neutral  and Smart 
Cities  would  see  potential  for  further  synergies  across  different  funding  instruments  and 
private sector investment.  It could also complement these two Missions by taking a holistic 
and  more  in-depth  approach  to  the  built  environment.  For  instance,  by  exploring,  through 
R&I,  how  neighbourhoods  could  become  carbon  sinks,  integrate  them  in  a  circular 
ecosystem,  make  them  more  resilient  to  climate  change,  and  allow  them  to  give  resources 
back  to  nature  through  regenerative  design.  The  NEB  also  has  a  strong  social  innovation 

28 https://new-european-bauhaus.europa.eu/index_en  
29 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0213_EN.html  

12 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
dimension,  as  it  fosters  the  development  of  innovative  governance  and  policymaking 
approaches  to  increase  the  flexibility,  speed  and  circularity  of  decision-making  flows  when 
compared  to  classical  processes.  In  its  scope,  the  New  European  Bauhaus  Mission  would 
ensure  complementarities  synergies  with  relevant  initiatives  such  as  the  Built4People 
Partnership. The NEB Mission would engage with people to build greater social acceptance 
for  Green  Deal  policies,  promoting  social  ownership  of  green  solutions  and  encouraging 
behavioural changes needed to meet Green Deal targets. This would be done by focusing on 
sustainability  alongside  other  criteria,  including  accessibility,  affordability  and  quality  of 
experience provided.  

The  New  European  Bauhaus  has  already  developed  synergies  between  R&I 
investments, other funding instruments30 and private sector investment. All 27 Member 
States  have  committed  to  the  New  European  Bauhaus  in  over  220  cohesion  policy 
programmes.  It  now  has  considerable  potential  for  further  scaling  up  and  deploying 
innovative  solutions  at  local  and  regional  level.  The  European  Investment  Bank  is  also 
engaged  with  the  aim  of  developing  New  European  Bauhaus  investment  guidelines  to  help 
start-ups  and  project  promoters.  In  2023,  two  European  Innovation  Council  challenges  are 
contributing  to  the  delivery  of  the  NEB.  Since  2021,  the  European  Institute  for  Innovation 
and  Technology  is  mobilising  five  Knowledge  and  Innovation  Communities  and  their 
respective  networks  across  business,  education,  and  research  through  the  initiative  EIT 
Community New European Bauhaus. An EU Mission is an appropriate tool to reinforce such 
synergies, build scale and ensure maximum impact.  

The Commission will: 

  Propose a new EU Mission dedicated to the New European Bauhaus. 
  Start the preparations for its scale up, including the establishment of a Mission Board 

and the drafting of a Mission Implementation Plan. 

4.2. Reaffirming political and financial support 

Given  their  ambition,  EU  Missions  require  a  sustained  and  continuously  coordinated 
effort  across  a  period  of  more  than  a  decade.  While  still  at  an  early  stage  of 
implementation,  EU  Missions  have  received  significant  attention  and  support  from  EU 
Institutions, Member States, regional and local authorities, and a broad range of stakeholders. 
This momentum needs to be further supported to ensure the EU Missions reach their goals in 
the long-term. 

For  EU  Missions  to  fully  deliver  on  their  promise,  they  need  a  clear  commitment 
regarding  continued financial  support  in Horizon  Europe  during  the  current  EU  long 
term  budget.  Accordingly,  the  Commission  considers  that  Horizon  Europe  support  for  the 

30 Horizon Europe, European Regional Development Fund, Just Transition Fund, LIFE, Digital Europe, Single 
Market Programme, COSME, Erasmus+, Creative Europe, European Solidarity Corps. 

13 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
EU Missions for  after 2023 should be set at  a level  of 11% of Pillar 231. This  funding will 
guarantee continuity and help to keep the pace of implementation in the existing Missions. At 
the same time, it will incentivise them to leverage funding sources beyond Horizon Europe, 
while also accommodating for the launch of a new Mission.  

The Commission will: 

  Reaffirm its political commitment and support to the EU Missions. 
  Maintain  EU  Missions  as  flagships  of  implementation  of  Horizon  Europe  and  other 

Union instruments.  

  Propose a Horizon Europe budget for EU Missions of 11% of Pillar 2 until 2027. 

5.  CONCLUSION 

Experience  with  two  years  of  implementation  of  five  EU  Missions  has  confirmed  that  the 
mission-based approach as an instrument of Horizon Europe incentivises the engagement of 
broad  and  enthusiastic  communities  of  stakeholders.  Through  its  ability  to  promote 
experimentation,  coordination  and  scaling  of  deployment,  the  EU  Mission  instrument  can 
play a pivotal role in necessary societal transitions across multiple domains.  

Based  on  the  assessment  and  analysis  of  the  EU  Missions  detailed  in  the  Staff  Working 
Document, this  Communication concludes that  implementation  of the current  five  Missions 
should be continued, and support should be increased, both politically and financially. A new 
Mission  on  the  NEB  will  complement  and  strengthen  the  current  Missions,  opening  new 
possibilities to bring tangible R&I benefits for Europe. 

Nevertheless,  experience  has  also  shown  that  to  fully  deliver  on  its  potential,  the  Mission 
instrument needs to address a few remaining challenges, notably regarding public awareness, 
governance  and  its  ability  to  leverage  other  sources  of  funding,  including  private  funding. 
The  actions  formulated  in  this  Communication  aim  to  address  the  challenges  still  faced  by 
EU Missions, in co-creation with all EU Institutions, Member States and stakeholders from 
across the EU, to make this transformative tool a true success. 

31  The  distribution  of  the  contribution  among  the  different  clusters  of  Pillar  2  will  be  differentiated  across 
clusters,  reflecting  the  objectives  of  the  Missions  and  their  link  to  the  given  cluster.  It  will  not  undermine 
support  for  the  uptake  and  scaling  up  of  the  development  and  manufacturing  of  strategic  technologies  in  the 
Union,  as  established  in  the  EU’s  industrial  policy  and  the  Commission’s  proposal  for  a  review  of  the 
Multiannual Financial Framework. 

14