CLEAN_PROD is a Coordination Action led by CETIM (France) to observe, link, coordinate and consolidate RTD activities between 8 Member States (Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and UK). It deals with 3 classes of environmentally unfriendly processes which can be improved: forming / tooling, surface treatment, coating. These processes impact many industrial sectors (aerospace, automotive, energy, agrofood, etc.). First, barriers that prevent effective coordination are identified, comparing lessons learnt from past or existing coordinated research projects in Europe and beyond. Next, 2020 European visions for the development of sustainable manufacturing processes in these three sectors are designed, involving creative interactions between professional associations (the industry voice), environmental agencies and technology research centres. Research roadmaps are proposed, pinpointing R&D topics that need to be coordinated at EU level and the ones that can stay at Member State level for the above 3 classes of processes. A European Observatory on sustainable manufacturing is launched during year 2 of the coordination action: it will become the permanent European knowledge provider for industry on these matters. Finally, a first set of coordination activities are implemented based on decisions taken during R&D coordination workshops to be organised by professional associations and national environmental agencies. A set of structured and coordinated research programmes at EU level will contribute to give the European manufacturing Technology Platform a new dimension with respect to sustainability issues: a permanent working group within the platform is made operational and able to deal with in other areas of clean/sustainable manufacturing.