What is the LIFE ?
The LIFE – an european program dedicated to supporting projects in environment and climate
It is the financial instrument of the European Union dedicated to supporting projects in the fields of environment and climate. Created in 1992, it contributes to the implementation, development and strengthening of Community environmental policy and legislation by co-financing pilot actions and demonstrative projects of European interest.
The LIFE programme is managed by the Directorates-General for Environment and Climate Action of the European Commission. Since 2014, the latter has wished to delegate many components of the LIFE programme to the Executive Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises (EASME). EASME is assisted by an external monitoring team, called NEEMO. The NEEMO team is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the progress of projects. It is the intermediary between project leaders and EASME.
For the period 2021-2027, the European Union has provided the LIFE programs with a budget of 5.4 billion euros at European level. Of this total €5.4 billion, more than €3.5 billion will be spent on environment-related activities and over €1.9 billion on climate action.
The “Nature and Biodiversity” sub-program
In 2021, a new program covering the period 2021-2027 was established. It is structured around four sub-programs:
– “Nature and biodiversity“
– “Circular economy and quality of life“
– “Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation”
– “Clean Energy Transition”
In 2013, a new programme covering the period 2014-2020 was established. It is structured around two sub-programmes: “Environment” and “Climate Action“. The “Environment” sub-programme is divided into three parts, including the “Nature and Biodiversity” component, which includes the LIFE Wild bees. Its specific objective is to contribute to the development and implementation of Union policy and legislation in the field of nature and biodiversity, including the Union Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, and Directives 92/43/EEC and 2009/147/EC, known as the Habitats-Fauna-Flora Directive and the Birds Directive.
These last 2 directives are at the origin of the establishment of the Natura 2000 network. LIFE projects must therefore be developed, preferably within this network of sites designated to protect a certain number of habitats and species. representative of European biodiversity.
