From Ambition to Action: New Policy Recommendations for Restoring Mediterranean Seagrass Meadows

As EU countries prepare their National Restoration Plans, a new report outlines 15 recommendations to scale up Posidonia oceanica restoration and financing across the Mediterranean.

The restoration of Mediterranean seagrass meadows must move from fragmented pilot projects to long-term, large-scale action supported by coherent governance and sustainable financing, according to the new report released by the Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project. The report titled “Accelerating Seagrass Restoration and Finance” examines the ecological, legal and financial dimensions of restoring one of the Mediterranean’s most valuable marine ecosystems, Posidonia meadows, and proposes 15 recommendations to turn policy ambition into action.

Posidonia oceanica meadows provide critical ecosystem services, including biodiversity support, coastal protection and carbon storage. Yet, despite decades of conservation efforts, they continue to decline due to coastal development, anchorage and climate change.

The report comes at a pivotal moment as Member States prepare National Restoration Plans under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, with first drafts due to the European Commission by September 1st, 2026. As highlighted during the recently organized ARTEMIS policy roundtable “From Meadows to Markets: Advancing Seagrass Restoration and Sustainable Financing”, the report and its recommendation contribute to the ongoing implementation of the European Union Roadmap toward Nature Credits (5), a new initiative of the European Commission. 

From Meadows to Markets: Advancing Seagrass restoration and Sustainable Financing

How can the EU scale up the restoration of Mediterranean seagrass meadows? What role can public and private finance play in achieving the ambitious targets of the Nature Restoration Regulation? And under what conditions could innovative financing mechanisms, such as nature credits, support marine ecosystem restoration?

These were the central questions explored during the online policy roundtable “From Meadows to Markets: Advancing Seagrass Restoration and Sustainable Financing“, co-hosted by MEP Dimitris Tsiodras and organised by The Green Tank in the framework of the ARTEMIS Interreg Euro-Med project on June 25, 2026.

More than 80 participants joined the policy roundtable, moderated by Ioli Christopoulou, Policy Director at The Green Tank, bringing together representatives from the European Parliament, the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the scientific community, financial organisations and civil society to discuss how to scale up the restoration of Posidonia oceanica, support the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, and mobilise innovative financing for healthier and more resilient Mediterranean seas.

The event was hosted by MEP Dimitris Tsiodras and featured a pre-recorded video message from MEP César Luena, who was the rapporteur of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.

Following a scene-setting presentation by Eugenia Apostolaki, Senior Researcher, Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (ARTEMIS partner) an in-depth roundtable discussion took place with contributions from Bettina Doeser, Head of Unit, Natural Capital & Ecosystem Health, DG Environment, European Commission, Dimitra Syrou, Nature Policy Associate, The Green Tank, David Álvarez-García, CEO,ECOACSA (ARTEMIS partner), Dominik Maczik, Technical Analyst, Biodiversity Credits Alliance, Eva Mayerhofer, Head of Environmental Policy and Biodiversity, European Investment Bank, and Constantin Tsakas, Chief Economist, Plan Bleu / Regional Activity Center of UNEP MAP (ARTEMIS project coordinator).

The roundtable provided an opportunity to present key outputs of the ARTEMIS project, including its policy recommendations on “Accelerating Seagrass Restoration and Finance” and its proposal for a Posidonia Nature Credit, while fostering an engaging exchange on the governance and financing enabling conditions to turn restoration ambitions into action

Identifying key governance and financing gaps

Drawing on lessons from ARTEMIS pilot sites in Greece, Italy and Spain, the report identifies key governance and financing gaps that hinder restoration efforts and outlines policy solutions. 

While restoration is gaining strategic importance, implementation remains fragmented, with inconsistent permitting, technical standards and monitoring limiting large-scale deployment.

The report highlights that restoring P. oceanica requires long-term investment. While EU and national public funding are the main sources of support, current financing is often fragmented and misaligned with the long ecological recovery timescales. Even when complemented with donor and private sources, available funding is well below estimated needs. 

The report puts forward 15 policy recommendations structured around four priority areas: strengthening governance and strategic planning; improving implementation capacity; securing long-term public funding; and developing credible private financing mechanisms for restoration.

Among its key recommendations, the report calls on Mediterranean countries to develop ambitious and scientifically sound National Restoration Plans under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, establish dedicated restoration frameworks for Posidonia oceanica, strengthen marine spatial planning and protected areas, and integrate seagrass ecosystems into climate and blue-carbon policies. It also highlights the importance of stakeholder participation, scientific evidence, and institutional capacity in ensuring restoration success.

The report also stresses that public funding must remain the foundation of restoration, particularly in the context of the ongoing negotiations on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034. At the same time, complementary financing mechanisms can mobilise additional resources, if supported by clear governance and robust safeguards.

The ARTEMIS project developed and tested a Posidonia credit, illustrating how private finance could support restoration, provided that strong monitoring, verification and environmental integrity standards are in place.

“While restoration is now firmly on the policy agenda, the governance and financing conditions needed to deliver it at scale are still lacking. The ARTEMIS recommendations provide concrete policy directions to turn ambition into action across EU, national, regional and local levels,” said Ioli Christopoulou, Policy Director and co-founder of The Green Tank.

“The restoration of Posidonia oceanica can no longer rely on isolated projects. Scaling up action across the Mediterranean will require stable financing, coordinated governance, and stronger regional cooperation to share expertise, harmonise approaches, and ensure restoration targets are met on time,” underlined Arnaud Terisse, Biodiversity Programme Officer at Plan Bleu.

What’s inside the report

The report “Accelerating Seagrass Restoration and Finance 15 Policy Recommendations to Turn Ambition into Action” draws on lessons from ARTEMIS pilot sites in Greece (Atzikiari, Bay, in Siteia, Crete), Italy (Capo Testa Punta Falcone in Sardinia, and Panzano Bay in Monfalcone), and Spain (Cala Banca in Menorca), and an in-depth analysis of existing frameworks led by Plan Bleu and The Green Tank, with input from all ARTEMIS partners. It identifies key challenges that continue to hinder restoration efforts and outlines policy solutions. The full report also includes an annex with country chapters for each ARTEMIS pilot country, outlining site-specific findings and recommendations. 

Download the Executive summary:

The publication is structured around four strategic priorities:

• Strengthening strategic planning and governance
• Improving implementation and institutional capacity
• Securing long-term public financing
• Unlocking innovative nature-based finance

Together, these recommendations aim to transform seagrass restoration from isolated pilot projects into coordinated, large-scale restoration programmes across the Mediterranean.

⬇ Download the Policy Recommendations (PDF)

See the Infographic:

Download the Full Report

Policy Recommendations – Accelerating the Restoration of Seagrass Meadows in the Mediterranean through Innovative Ecosystem-Service Based Solutions

Prepared by The Green Tank and Plan Bleu, with contributions from all ARTEMIS partners.

Notes: 

1. The Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project (Accelerating the Restoration of Seagrass Meadows in the Mediterranean Area through Innovative Ecosystem-Service Based Solutions) aims to improve the restoration techniques of Posidonia oceanica meadows, assess the ecosystem services they provide, and create innovative techniques for integrating them into both policy-making and investment decisions. The project has been implemented by ten partners across five European and Mediterranean countries, with Plan Bleu as the project coordinator, from January 2024 through June 2026.
2. The report “Accelerating Seagrass Restoration and Finance 15 Policy Recommendations to Turn Ambition into Action” (see here) draws on lessons from ARTEMIS pilot sites in Greece (Atzikiari, Bay, in Siteia, Crete), Italy (Capo Testa Punta Falcone in Sardinia, and Panzano Bay in Monfalcone), and Spain (Cala Banca in Menorca), and an in-depth analysis of existing frameworks led by Plan Bleu and The Green Tank, with input from all ARTEMIS partners. It identifies key challenges that continue to hinder restoration efforts and outlines policy solutions. The full report also includes an annex (see here) with country chapters for each ARTEMIS pilot country, outlining site-specific findings and recommendations. 
3. The report findings were presented during the ARTEMIS Final Conference on June 8-10 in Menorca and during the ARTEMIS Online Policy Roundtable “From Meadows to Markets: Advancing Seagrass Restoration and Sustainable Financing” hosted by MEP Dimitris Tsiodras and organized by the Green Tank in the framework of the Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS. 
4. A documentary on the Interreg Euro-MED Artemis has been produced by MEDSEA in collaboration with ARTEMIS partners available here
5. The EU Roadmap towards Nature Credits was issued on 7 July 2025. Its implementation by the European Commission is supported by an Expert Group on Nature Credits, to which The Green Tank, an ARTEMIS partner, is a member. For more information: https://green-forum.ec.europa.eu/green-business/nature-credits_en