Clean environment and zero pollution (Horizon Europe)

This destination serves the zero-pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment, as set out in the European Green Deal, towards the 2030 zero pollution targets for air, water and soils. The objectives of the EU’s chemicals strategy for sustainability, including the focus on PFAS (the ‘forever chemicals’). R&I under this destination will contribute to reach the 2030 targets for pollution reduction, by pursuing the precautionary principle and an effective ‘zero pollution hierarchy’1, prioritising preventive measures.

Proposed activities related to ocean and seas will be aimed at the implementation of the zero[1]pollution action plan within the scope of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the EU water legislation as well as the European Ocean Pact.

The destination will also support the implementation of the revised legislation on industrial emissions and air quality, by promoting innovative monitoring and modelling systems. It will support sustainable solutions to prevent and reduce pollution from agriculture ensuring long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the farming sector within planetary boundaries, and address pollution stemming from food and drink industries, in line with the objectives of the common agricultural policy, the announced future EU Vision for agriculture and food, and the Food 2030 initiative.

Calls for 2025, one stage:

Submission: 17.09.2025; Budget: 58 Mio. €

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01: Innovative and advanced monitoring and modelling systems for revised air quality policies
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-02: Environmental impacts from the production of agricultural crops for bio-based industrial systems
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-03: Environmental biotechnology applications in service of remediation of polluted ecosystems
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-04: Towards a comprehensive European strategy to assess and monitor aquatic litter including plastic and microplastic pollution
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-05: EU-India cooperation on cumulative impacts of marine pollution on marine organisms and ecosystems
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-06: Provide digital solutions tailored to small and medium-sized farms to monitor and sustainably manage agricultural inputs and natural resources
HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-07: Reducing pollution from the food and drink industries

Calls for 2025/2026, two-stage:

Submission: 04 Sep 2025 (First Stage), 18 Feb 2026 (Second Stage) Budget: 10 Mio. €

HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-two-stage: Substances of concern and emerging pollutants from bio-based industries and products: mapping and replacement

Links:

Work Programm: Work Programme 2025: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment.

All Horizon Europe work programmes: here