European Commission To Provide €267 Million For New Environmental Projects

The European Commission has launched its annual call for proposals to be funded under the LIFE+ programme, the European fund for the environment.

Proposals are welcome under one of the programme’s three components: Nature and Biodiversity, Environment Policy and Governance, and Information and Communication.

A total of €267 million is available, in the form of co-funding for grant agreements. The call is open until 15 July 2011.

The LIFE+ programme has three components the first being, LIFE+ Nature & Biodiversity projects improve the conservation status of endangered species and habitats. Projects under this heading contribute to the implementation of the EU’s Birds and Habitats Directives, the Natura 2000 network and the EU’s goal of halting the loss of biodiversity. The maximum co-financing rate can be up to 75 percent for priority species and habitats, but is normally 50 percent.

The second area is, LIFE+ Environment Policy & Governance projects are innovative or pilot projects that contribute to the development of policy ideas, technologies, methods and instruments in numerous areas including air, water, waste, climate, soil and agriculture. This part of LIFE+ also helps projects that improve the implementation of EU environmental legislation, that build the environmental policy knowledge base, and that develop environmental information sources through monitoring (including forest monitoring). Projects can be co-financed up to a level of 50 percent.

The third area is LIFE+ Information and Communication projects relate to communication and awareness raising campaigns on environmental, nature protection or biodiversity conservation issues, as well as projects related to forest fire prevention (awareness raising, special training).