European Programme Life

Nature & Biodiversity

The “Nature & Biodiversity” call for proposals was published by the European Commission, in the framework of the European Programme LIFE, Environment Sub-Programme.

The  European Programme LIFE shall in particular have the following general objectives:

- to contribute to the shift towards a resource-efficient, low-carbon and climate- resilient economy, to the protection and improvement of the quality of the environment and to halting and reversing biodiversity loss, including the support of the Natura 2000 network and tackling the degradation of ecosystems;

- to improve the development, implementation and enforcement of Union environmental and climate policy and legislation, and to act as a catalyst for, and promote, the integration and mainstreaming of environmental and climate objectives into other Union policies and public and private sector practice, including by increasing the public and private sector's capacity;

- to support better environmental and climate governance at all levels, including better involvement of civil society, NGOs and local actors;

- to support the implementation of the 7th Environment Action Programme.

 

The “Nature & Biodiversity” call for proposals specific aim is contributing to the development and implementation of EU policy and legislation in the area of nature and biodiversity. Projects financed must have a European added value and be complementary to those actions that can be financed under other EU funds during the period 2014–2020.

 

The priority area “Nature & Biodiversity” call for proposals focuses on:

- contributing to the development and implementation of EU policy and legislation in the area of nature and biodiversity, in the Union Biodiversity Strategy to 20207, and the Birds and Habitats Directives;

- supporting the further development, implementation and management of the Natura 2000 network;

- improving the knowledge base for the development, implementation, assessment, monitoring and evaluation of EU nature and biodiversity policy and legislation, and for assessing and monitoring factors, pressures and responses that impact on nature and biodiversity

 

There are two distinct sectors of projects which are intended to complement each other: LIFE Nature projects and LIFE Biodiversity projects.

 

LIFE Nature projects aim to support the further development, implementation and management of the Natura 2000 network in particular by applying, developing, testing and demonstrating approaches, best practices and solutions. LIFE Nature projects must take place on the terrestrial and/or marine territory of the EU Member States where the EU Birds and Habitats Directives apply14. However, specific actions outside the Union may be financed as long as the applicant provides full details on why such actions are necessary for the achievement of the EU environmental objectives and to ensure the effectiveness of interventions carried out in the Member State territories to which the Treaties apply.

 

LIFE Biodiversity projects must contribute to implementing the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 targets and actions, with a view to achieving the objectives of the 2020 headline target of "halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restoring them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss", other than those already covered by LIFE Nature.

 

For the duration of the Multiannual Work Programme for 2014-2017, the maximum EU co-financing rate for “Nature and LIFE Biodiversity” call for proposals is 60% of the total eligible project costs.

 

The deadline for submitting proposals in the framework of the current “Nature and LIFE Biodiversity” call for proposals is 16 October 2014.

 

Further information on the “Nature & Biodiversity” call for proposals is available on the LIFE Programme web site at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/life2014/index.htm#traditional