The Commission has undertaken to support Member States in the planning and implementation of measures to restore degraded coastal and marine habitats to reach the legally binding target under the Nature Restoration Regulation of covering at least 20% of EU sea areas with necessary measures by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.

As part of this effort, on 7 July 2025, the European Commission published a Roadmap towards Nature Credits, outlining a strategic approach to stimulate private investment in nature-positive actions across the EU. The initiative aims to complement public funding by creating market-based incentives to protect and restore nature. It seeks to reward those who actively contribute to ecosystem restoration and conservation (including farmers, foresters, fishers, landowners, and local communities) and to encourage investors to support these efforts.

This workshop is part of the consultation on the Roadmap, focusing on coastal and marine ecosystems. It will take stock of what has already been done, see what has worked and what else is needed to develop transparent criteria and methodologies that prevent risks and ensure integrity on both supply and demand side while being simple and practical, relying wherever possible on existing principles or standards.