An EU Research & Innovation (R&I) agenda on nature-based solutions is an essential component to greening the economy and achieving sustainable development. To contribute to the development of this R&I agenda, the Expert Group on 'Nature-Based Solutions and Re-Naturing Cities' was commissioned by the European Commission. Since the nature-based solutions concept is relatively new, the Expert Group developed an appropriate definition, before considering the opportunities for nature-based solutions.

Their final report published in 2015. Four principal goals have been identified that can be addressed by nature-based solutions:
− Enhancing sustainable urbanisation through nature-based solutions can stimulate economic growth as well as improving the environment, making cities more attractive, and
enhancing human well-being.
− Restoring degraded ecosystems using nature-based solutions can improve the resilience of ecosystems, enabling them to deliver vital ecosystem services and also to
meet other societal challenges.
− Developing climate change adaptation and mitigation using nature-based solutions can provide more resilient responses and enhance the storage of carbon.
− Improving risk management and resilience using nature-based solutions can lead to greater benefits than conventional methods and offer synergies in reducing multiple risks.

Based on the four goals, seven nature-based solutions for R&I actions are recommended to be taken forward by the European Commission and Member States:
− Urban regeneration through nature-based solutions
− Nature-based solutions for improving well-being in urban areas
− Establishing nature-based solutions for coastal resilience
− Multi-functional nature-based watershed management and ecosystem restoration
− Nature-based solutions for increasing the sustainability of the use of matter and energy
− Nature-based solutions for enhancing the insurance value of ecosystems
− Increasing carbon sequestration through nature-based solutions

This report was produced by the Horizon 2020 Expert Group on 'Nature-Based Solutions and Re-Naturing Cities', informed by the findings of an e-consultation and a stakeholder workshop.

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Around 20 cities will be selected by the European Commission to share their technical expertise and strategic advice on the Commission’s Urban Water Agenda 2030.

The agenda aims to build on the capacities and political leadership of local governments to advance sustainable water management in Europe. The Commission is looking to work with cities in accelerating the implementation of EU water policies and legislation, such as the EU Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive.

Urban, demographic and climate trends are increasingly exposing cities to risks of having too little, too much and too polluted water. Facing these challenges requires robust public policies and sound governance frameworks to co-ordinate across multiple scales, authorities, and policy domains. Building on a survey of 48 cities in OECD countries and emerging economies, the report analyses key factors affecting urban water governance, discusses trends in allocating roles and responsibilities across levels of government, and assesses multi-level governance gaps in urban water management. It provides a framework for mitigating territorial and institutional fragmentation and raising the profile of water in the broader sustainable development agenda, focusing in particular on the contribution of metropolitan governance, rural-urban partnerships and stakeholder engagement.