LIFE +
LIFE + ( French: L'Instrument Financier pour l'Environnement , 'The financial instrument for the environment' ) is a funding program of the European Union to support projects in environmental and nature conservation.
LIFE + has a budget of 2.1 billion euros for the period from 2007 to 2013. 78% of the funds are reserved for project-related grants. The remaining 22% can be used for other DG Environment expenditure, including studies, functional grants, etc.
The first call for project proposals was published in September 2007. Public and private bodies and institutions such as B. national, regional and local authorities, international organizations, companies and non-governmental organizations.
One of the priorities of LIFE + is the financing of the EU-wide system of protected areas Natura 2000 . Accordingly, 50% of the project-related grants are reserved for measures in the fields of nature and biodiversity (LIFE + "Nature and Biodiversity").
Other program priorities are the support of the development of innovative and integrated environmental technologies (LIFE + "Environmental Policy and Administration") as well as information campaigns on EU-relevant environmental and nature conservation issues (LIFE + "Information and Communication").
As in the previous programs LIFE I – III (1992–2006), the selection and management of the projects remains the responsibility of the European Commission. Unlike in the past, however, an indicative distribution of the project grants has been established across the 27 EU member states. From 2008, the Member States can also influence the selection of projects by setting national priorities.
Sample projects
- Renaturation of the river valley bogs of the Recknitz and the middle Trebel (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) (PDF) - Project information in the profile on the WFD implementation (288 kB)
- Redevelopment of the natural area Galenbecker See (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) with report (PDF)
- Moors and Great Bittern on the Upper Havel (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) in the area of the Zotzensee