In June 2026, the European Commission launched a consultation on the future European Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy, a cross-cutting pillar of the European Ocean Pact aimed at closing Europe’s ocean-knowledge gap, countering fragmentation of the R&I landscape, and guiding future investment under Horizon Europe 2028–2034.

In its contribution, the CMCC Foundation welcomed the Strategy as foundational to climate resilience, a sustainable blue economy, and effective source-to-sea ocean governance, drawing on its integrated expertise in high-resolution ocean and climate modelling, sustained observations and environmental economics. CMCC set out six priority objectives, including embedding multidisciplinary research institutions as structural partners in ocean governance, advancing coupled AI-enabled ocean modelling and the assessment of extremes, ensuring the stability and continuity of ocean observations in under-observed coastal areas, strengthening interoperable marine data through an “interoperability-by-design” principle, accelerating innovation through a structured “coastal innovation-to-operations” pathway, and supporting robust Monitoring, Reporting and Verification standards for marine carbon and emerging blue-economy sectors.

In June 2026, the European Commission launched a consultation on the future Water Research and Innovation Strategies, a flagship initiative under the EU Water Resilience Strategy, aimed at guiding EU research and innovation investment on freshwater systems, water efficiency and sustainable water management along a “source-to-sea” approach.

In its contribution, the CMCC Foundation welcomed the initiative and its integration with the ocean strand into a single strategy covering the entire source-to-sea continuum, proposing the systemic approach as an organising principle across five dimensions: continuous modelling from atmosphere to sea, seamless prediction from nowcasting to long-term projections, reversed impact chains linking decisions to socio-economic outcomes, an extended Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems nexus, and interoperable digitalisation including water-sector digital twins. CMCC also stressed two enabling conditions for success: stable, non-project-based funding for long-lived observation and modelling infrastructures, and the systematic consolidation of Europe’s living-lab network to bridge the gap between research breakthroughs and operational use by basin, coastal and local authorities.

In April 2026, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the development of the European Ocean Act, a key legislative proposal under the European Ocean Pact aimed at strengthening EU maritime governance, alongside a parallel revision of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (MSPD).

In its contribution, the CMCC Foundation welcomed the initiative as an opportunity to modernise EU ocean governance and close the gap between planning ambition and ecological outcomes. Drawing on its expertise in ocean and climate modelling, operational oceanography, and its role in key initiatives, such as Copernicus Marine, the EU Digital Twin of the Ocean, and EMODnet, CMCC set out priority objectives for the revision, including embedding climate-smart and ecosystem-based planning, establishing centralised and interoperable ocean data-sharing, advancing ocean research through regulatory sandboxes, ensuring inclusive governance for coastal and island communities, and adopting a precautionary governance framework for marine carbon dioxide removal alongside blue-carbon protection.

In February 2026, the European Commission launched a consultation on the development of an EU Strategy for Coastal Communities, an initiative to strengthen the resilience, sustainability, and long-term vitality of Europe’s coastal territories in the face of accelerating climate and environmental pressures.

In its contribution, the CMCC Foundation called for placing coastal resilience at the heart of the strategy, arguing that it should function as an enabling framework that connects existing EU policy instruments and assets, and proposed several measures to unlock sustained, place-based resilience capabilities. Key priorities identified include: strengthening coastal resilience infrastructures and services; scaling ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions; advancing integrated risk governance and anticipatory planning; ensuring the transition from research to operational uptake; enhancing local capacity through stakeholder engagement and co-design; and embedding resilience within the blue economy to safeguard livelihoods and territorial vitality.

In January 2026, the European Commission launched a consultation on the development of a European Ocean Observation Initiative, a key step towards strengthening Europe’s marine knowledge system and supporting the objectives of the forthcoming European Ocean Pact.

In its contribution, the CMCC Foundation highlighted the importance of strengthening the European ocean observation framework by improving coordination among existing initiatives, expanding coastal observations, and ensuring interoperable and accessible marine data to support science, policy, and operational decision-making.

In April 2025, within the framework of its AI Continent Action Plan, the European Commission launched a consultation for the development of a  European Strategy for AI in science – paving the way for a European AI research council – the comprehensive policy approach towards AI in science, aimed at bringing a strategic vision and facilitate coordination at EU a domestic levels, identifying gaps and priorities, and building complementarities with existing and planned EU policies, and paving the way towards a European AI research council.

In its feedback, the CMCC Foundation highlighted that promoting AI in European science is critical to accelerating discovery, driving innovation, and enhancing the EU’s global competitiveness. Achieving this requires high-quality, interoperable, and well-governed data supported by secure, scalable digital infrastructure – particularly cloud-based systems – for delivering real-time scientific insights. Transparent data exchange is key to fostering trust and reproducibility. In parallel, CMCC underlined the need for advanced AI infrastructure, including high-performance computing and data lakes, as well as  the importance of attracting top AI talent. A decentralized network of public research organizations can strengthen  synergies, collaboration and open science.

In February 2025, as part of an overall public consultation exercise for the preparation of the EU’s long-term budget for the period 2028 – 2034, the European Commission launched a consultation on EU funding for competitiveness.

In its feedback, the CMCC Foundation emphasized that increasing R&I investment is crucial for strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and narrowing the innovation gap, stressing the importance of a standalone and ambitious EU Research and Innovation Framework Programme (FP10). Such an investment, strategically directed towards both fundamental and applied research, including critical areas like Earth system science and AI, will not only foster strategic innovation but also empower Europe’s research ecosystem and secure its future prosperity.