EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities for the Call “Overcoming the barriers for scaling up circular water management in agriculture” (HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-03)

1. Single Market Access

• 450 + million end-users & 10.5 million EU farms create a critical mass for technologies (sensors, bio-filters, desalination units, digital twins) demonstrated under the project.

• Harmonised requirements in the Water Reuse Regulation (EU 2020/741) allow a *single conformity assessment* instead of 27 national certifications, accelerating commercial roll-out.

• CAP eco-schemes reward water-saving practices EU-wide; project results can be plugged directly into national strategic plans, driving demand.

2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange

• Multi-Actor Approach (MAA) fosters consortia spanning Mediterranean drought hotspots (ES, IT, EL), continental regions (FR, DE, PL), Atlantic climates (IE, PT) and Nordic areas (SE, FI) – enabling robust, transferrable evidence across diverse pedo-climatic zones.

• Access to EU Partnerships (PRIMA, Water4All, Agriculture of Data, Sustainable Food Systems) offers ready-made networks, data spaces and additional €1 bn in aligned R&I budgets.

• Exchange of best practices with Associated Countries (NO, CH, Western Balkans, IL, TR) enlarges market reach and talent pool while keeping EU funding eligibility.

3. Alignment with Flagship EU Policies

• Direct contribution to the Green Deal, Farm-to-Fork Strategy, Zero-Pollution Action Plan, Climate Adaptation Strategy and Biodiversity Strategy ➔ higher evaluation scores under the *Impact* criterion.

• Supports EU Climate Law targets by lowering irrigation-related energy use and emissions through circular water loops powered by renewables.

• Facilitates compliance with the pending EU Soil Health Law by monitoring soil microbiome impacts of alternative water sources.

4. Regulatory Harmonisation Advantages

• Single set of reuse quality standards avoids fragmented national limits for pathogens, nutrients, PFAS and micro-plastics.

• EU-wide guidelines on Managed Aquifer Recharge streamline permits across Member States, reducing lead-times for pilot sites.

• REACH and Drinking Water Directive provide a uniform framework for chemical monitoring → simple, scalable QA/QC protocols.

5. Access to Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem

• Leverage JRC iMAP agro-economic platform and EU Soil Observatory datasets at zero licence cost.

• Tap into Copernicus (satellite EO) & Galileo/EGNOS (precise positioning) free of charge – a €10 bn public infrastructure instantly available for water accounting & irrigation scheduling.

• Synergies with EIT Food, Climate-KIC and Digital Innovation Hubs offer extra services: business mentoring, IP advisory, RIS grants for widening/outermost regions.

6. Funding & Investment Synergies

• Combine Horizon grant with:

• CAP rural development funds (EAFRD) for on-farm infrastructure deployment after pilots.

• LIFE programme for large-scale nature-based treatment wetlands.

• InvestEU & EIB blended finance windows for commercial scale-up of desalination or reclaimed-water networks.

• ERDF / Just Transition Fund to support demonstration in cohesion regions.

• Horizon Results Booster & Enterprise Europe Network facilitate exploitation, licensing and investor matchmaking post-project.

7. EU-Scale Impact Potential

• Demonstrations in ≥6 countries covering at least four agro-climatic zones → statistically significant data set for an EU Best Practice Code on circular water in agriculture.

• Project-developed Business Model Toolbox (including CBA, risk-sharing and water pricing schemes) can be uploaded to CAP’s AKIS platforms, instantly accessible to all advisory services.

• Outcomes feed into the upcoming EU Strategic Foresight on Water Security, positioning partners as go-to experts for future policy pilots.

8. Strategic Value Beyond National Programmes

• Higher grant ceilings (up to €12–15 m per project) allow large-scale, real-life pilots (e.g., 1 000 ha irrigation districts), unfeasible under most national funds.

• EU branding de-risks technologies for private investors, easing Series-A/B fundraising and export to global markets (Mediterranean, MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa).

• Eligibility of Associated Countries widens consortium choice and access to niche expertise (e.g., Israeli drip-irrigation know-how, Swiss membrane tech) with EU funding coverage.

9. Concrete EU-Level Opportunities to Exploit

1. Establish a “European Circular Water Living-Lab Network” linking 10 demonstration hubs; later integrate with EIT Food Test Farms for rapid SME validation.

2. Create an open-source Digital Twin of the Agricultural Water Cycle compliant with the forthcoming Agriculture of Data space – potential adoption as a reference tool in CAP performance monitoring.

3. Design a green financing mechanism with EIB/InvestEU for decentralised, solar-powered desalination units, using project evidence as bankable proof.

4. Develop an EU “Water Circularity Label” aligned with the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities, giving first-mover branding advantage to participating retailers and agri-food processors.

5. Partner with PRIMA projects to pilot South-North knowledge transfer (e.g., Moroccan managed aquifer recharge) and qualify for joint EU-Africa call top-ups.

10. Summary

Participating in this Horizon-IA call offers an unparalleled platform to test, validate and scale circular water solutions across the entire European Single Market, capitalising on harmonised regulations, vast innovation networks and multiple complementary funding streams. The EU dimension multiplies impact, reduces market fragmentation risks and positions successful consortia at the forefront of Europe’s water-secure, climate-resilient agri-food future.