MAIA policy implications and recommendations: a European level approach

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MAIA is an EU-funded Horizon Europe project (2022-2025) which seeks to amplify the impact of European climate research by creating synergies between existing projects. It aims to maximize the joint impact of such research by enhancing connections between knowledge and networks.

Introduction

This brief condenses key findings from MAIA’s Policy Roundtables, Policy-Science Dialogues, Assemblies and Workshops, which brought together policymakers, scientists, practitioners and a wide variety of stakeholders to identify the priority levers for accelerating climate action and resilience in Europe.

The presented findings focus on four priority themes, widely discussed during those events: Knowledge sharing and accessibility, collaboration and multi-level governance, financing and resource mobilization, and integrated planning and evaluation. These themes were identified as central levers to strengthen resilience, support inclusive climate action, and foster evidence-based decision-making.

By embedding these principles into EU climate governance, the European Union can empower regions and cities to deliver effective, equitable, and scalable climate actions—ensuring Europe is prepared for the escalating challenges of climate change.

Four priority themes

1. Knowledge sharing and accessibility

Challenge: Climate data is often fragmented, inconsistent, and difficult to access. This hinders accurate risk assessments, delays the implementation of climate measures, and creates space for misinformation to spread.

Recommendations:

• Expand EU open data infrastructures (MAIA Climate Connectivity Hub, Climate-ADAPT) to ensure harmonised, interoperable access to climate knowledge;
• Develop AI-assisted knowledge extraction and synthesis tools to boost knowledge curator’s productivity;
• Scale cross-border observatories (e.g., Pyrenean Climate Change Observatory – OPCC) for shared data management and harmonised adaptation planning;
• Integrate citizen science into EU monitoring systems, with clear validation protocols;
• Fund capacity-building so policymakers can turn complex datasets into actionable insights.

2. Collaboration and multi-level governance

Challenge: Siloed governance, bureaucratic delays, and uneven capacity hinder coordinated action across levels.

Recommendations:

• Institutionalize EU platforms for vertical and horizontal cooperation between cities, regions, Member States, and EU institutions;
• Invest in capacity building for cross-border and cross-sectoral collaboration.

3. Financing and resource mobilization

Challenge: Public funds alone cannot close the climate finance gap; complex eligibility criteria and limited technical capacity delay project implementation.

Recommendations:

• Simplify EU funding access and harmonise eligibility rules;
• Expand blended finance, climate bonds, and resilience funds to attract private investment;
• Establish technical assistance tools and services to help local actors prepare bankable climate projects;
• Incentivise public-private partnerships for co-financing nature-based and community-led
  solutions.

4. Integrated planning and evaluation

Challenge: Climate action remains fragmented across sectors; monitoring methodology is weak and inconsistent.

Recommendations:

Promote common EU planning tools aligning local, regional, and national climate frameworks
with the European Green Deal;

• Strengthen the monitoring and evaluation framework and operational structures linked to SDGs and the EU Climate Law;
• Integrate monitoring mechanisms into all EU-funded climate projects;
• Facilitate continuous policy-science dialogues to align emerging evidence of limits and efficiency of adaptations with policy planning.

Disclaimer

Created with funding from the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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