LIFE: The EU’s Financial Instrument for the Environment and Nature Conservation

5 July 2012 Dr. Katerina Raftopoulou 1

LIFE: The EU’s Financial Instrument for the Environment

and Nature Conservation


What is LIFE?


LIFE supports environmental actions that...

“contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environment policy and

legislation, by co-financing pilot or demonstration projects with European added value”


LIFE + General ObjectivesLIFE+ Nature & Biodiversity co-finances best practice or demonstration projects that contribute to the implementation of the the Birds and Habitats Directives and the Natura 2000 network. In addition, it co-finances innovative or demonstration projects that contribute to the implementation of the objectives of the Commission Communication (COM (2006) 216 final) on “Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 – and beyond”.

LIFE+ Environment Policy & Governance co-finances innovative or pilot projects that contribute to the implementation of EU environmental policy and the development of innovative policy ideas, technologies, methods and instruments. It also helps monitor pressures (including the long-term monitoring of forests and environmental interactions) on our environment.

LIFE+ Information & Communication co-finances projects relating 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).


2012: Triple 20th Anniversary!

5 June 1992: Rio Earth Summit-> Convention on Biological Diversity (1993)

21 May 1992: Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC

1992: LIFE begins


LIFE phasesLaunched in 1992:

LIFE I (1992-1995)

LIFE II (1996-1999)

LIFE III (2000-2004)

LIFE III Extension (2005-2006)

LIFE + (2007-2013)

€ 2.2 billion3104 projects

€ 2.143 billion


LIFE III:LIFE-Environment (47%)

LIFE-Nature (47%)LIFE-Third Countries (6%)

LIFE +:LIFE+ Nature & Biodiversity (at least

50%)LIFE+ Environment Policy & GovernanceLIFE+ Information & Communication


Community Co-funding

• Maximum: 50 % of total eligible project costs

• Up to 75% may be granted to LIFE+ Nature proposals


Who may participate?Legal entities established in the Member States of theEuropean Union, e.g:

NGOsprivate non commercial, industrial and commercial firms,local authoritiesuniversitiesresearch institutes

Coordinating and associated beneficiariesNational / transnational


The Astrale monitoring team for GR, CY, BG

See also: www.astrale.org

Georgia Valaoras

Christina Marouli

Ivaylo Zafirov

Katerina Raftopoulou

Anastasia Koutsolioutsou

Pavlos Doikos


Our main responsibilities involve :

Facilitation of the sound implementation of LIFE projectsProvision of accurate and reliable information to the LIFE unit


Monitoring includes:

Evaluation of progress reports for the ECProject visitsAdvice to the beneficiariesCommunication with local authoritiesProblem resolutionExplanation of procedures for the management of LIFE projectsProject networkingPresentations in LIFE conferences and workshops!


LIFE in Greece


203 projects funded in Greecesince 1992

140 ENV

69%

60 NAT

29.5%

3 INF 1.5%


TOTAL INVESTMENT since 1992:

€ 254.9 million,of which

€ 133.4 million from EU contribution

Average: € 13 million per year !

EU 52%

GR 48%


LIFE + projects in Greece:2007-present

Environment: 35 GR + 8 CY (42)

Nature & Biodiversity: 12 GR + 4 CY (16)

LIFE+ Information & Communication: 3 GR

Total: 50 GR + 12 CY (62)


LIFE Environment



impact over time

LIFE prepares Impact


LIFE Environment projects in Greece: Some examples


Magnetic Clean-up of Oil Spills

LIFE99 ENV/GR/000567- CLEANMAG


Innovative collection system and Life Cycle Assessment for waste lube oils

LIFE02 ENV/GR/000360ICOL


Demonstration plant for sludge management of sewage treatment plants with humification

LIFE02 ENV/GR/000371- Humification of Sludge


Recovery of high added value natural polyphenols from winery wastes

LIFE03 ENV/GR/000223DIONYSOS


Demonstration of a compact methodology for the collection, stabilisation, packaging and disposal of

asbestos wastes at MABE asbestos mine

LIFE03 ENV/GR/000214ASBESTMINE


Satellite-assisted Management of Air Quality SMAQ

LIFE05 ENV/GR/000214SMAQ


Local / regional Public Private Partnership (PPP) schemes for waste prevention, re-use

and recycling in Halkidiki

LIFE07 ENV/GR/000265RECYCLING SYMPRAXIS


Integrated system (combining a network of meteo stations and a forest fire simulation platform for

estimating the evolution of a forest fire) for the management

of forest fires

LIFE08 ENV/GR/000558CALCHAS


Innovative Precision Technologies for Optimized Irrigation and Integrated Crop Management in a Water-limited

Agrosystem

LIFE08 ENV/GR/000570HYDROSENSE


Integration of end-of-life tires in the life cycle of road construction

LIFE09 ENV/GR/000304ROADTIRE


Keys to Success

Networking

Institutional framework

Strong customer (End user) base

Future funding


Barriers to replication, transfer and sustainability

Implementation of policy varies

Saturation point reached

Risk management

Commercialisation/Operationalisation


LIFE 2014-20203,2 billion €

Climate Mitigation of climate change Adaptation to climate change Climate governance and information

Environment Environment and resource efficiency Biodiversity Environmental governance and information

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life


Thank you!

Documents

LIFE: The EU’s Financial Instrument for the Environment and Nature Conservation