The Commission today announced an INVESTMENT OF OVER 116 MILLION EUROS for the STRATEGIC PROJECTS of the new LIFE PROGRAM.

Thanks to the funding, eight major projects in BELGIUM, ESTONIA, SPAIN, ITALY, POLAND, SLOVAKIA AND FINLAND will achieve their climate and environmental goals.

The projects are EXPECTED TO MOBILIZE SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL FUNDS from other EU funding sources,
including agricultural, structural, regional and research funds, in addition to national resources and private sector investment.

The projects will help Europe become the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and successfully implement the European Green Deal.

They also support the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Nature Restoration Regulation and contribute to the transition to clean
types of energy.

EIGHT MAJOR PROJECTS IN SEVEN MEMBER STATES

These projects cover the following areas:

NATURE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION: In BELGIUM, B4B LIFE project partners will expand the protected
regions, will improve connectivity and develop action plans for critical habitats and species across the country.

The WETLANDS GREEN LIFE project team will contribute to the implementation of the EU policy on protected areas, habitats and species in POLAND.

Emphasis will be placed on marshes, bogs and wetlands in various Natura 2000 sites.

Both projects also support the implementation of EU directives on birds and habitats.

WATER QUALITY AND MANAGEMENT: The LIFE LIVING RIVERS project in SLOVAKIA will maintain water quality, protect natural habitats and native species and promote sustainable forestry and management
of fishing.

The project will contribute to the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive and the Habitats Directive.

The team working for PLASTLIFE will contribute to the implementation of the plastics roadmap in FINLAND.

The work will include reducing plastic pollution, reducing waste and consumption
plastics, as well as the strengthening of recycling.

ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE:

ESTONIA’S LIFE-SIP ADAPTES PROJECT TEAM will strengthen the country’s climate change adaptation capacity by contributing to the implementation of the “climate change adaptation development plan”.

In SPAIN, the LIFE ECOADAPT50 project team will raise awareness of climate adaptation
change, calling on local government and business to engage in local strategies for adaptation
in climate change.

LIFE CLIMAX PO project partners in ITALY to test climate-smart water management at scale
river basin and will improve the governance of water resource management.

These three projects support the implementation of the EU adaptation strategy.

MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE: the LIFE AFTER COAL PL group will contribute to the implementation of

“Strategy of POLAND for climate neutrality Eastern Wielkopolska 2040” (RSCN), with special emphasis on the sectors
utilities and transport.

This project is aligned with European climate legislation.

Record

Strategic Nature Projects and Strategic Integrated Projects build on the success of LIFE Integrated Projects (IPs) [21]which were funded between 2014 and 2020.

STRATEGIC PROJECTS FOR NATURE AND STRATEGIC INTEGRATED PROJECTS OF THE LIFE PROGRAM SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EU ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE LEGISLATION AND POLICIES, at regional, multi-regional, national or transnational level.

NATURE STRATEGIC PROJECTS help EU countries to integrate their nature and biodiversity policy objectives into other policies and funding instruments.

STRATEGIC INTEGRATED PROJECTS contribute to national, regional or sectoral strategies to mitigate
greenhouse gas emissions and implementing a roadmap for a low carbon economy
of coal.

The LIFE program is the EU’s funding instrument for environment and climate action.

Thanks to this, since 1992 ideas about ecology have been put into practice and, to date, it has co-financed more than 5,500 projects throughout Europe and in third countries. For the period 2021–2027, the European Commission has increased the funding of the LIFE program by almost 60%, up to €5.4 billion, which also covers the new sub-programme for the transition to clean forms of energy.

The LIFE program is managed by the European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and the Environment (CINEA).

Lena Flitzani