Deadline: 7-Sep-23
The European Commission (EC) is accepting proposals for Nature & Biodiversity and Circular Economy & Quality of Life under Programme for Environment and Climate Action (LIFE)
Objective:
- Based on article 11 of the LIFE Regulation 2021/783, the LIFE Multi Annual Work Programme 2021-2024, includes the possibility to finance each year a limited number of projects designed to support specific needs for the development and implementation of Union environment policy and legislation. Once a year, in consultation with Member States, the Commission makes an inventory of the specific needs regarding the development and implementation of Union environmental or climate policy and legislation that need to be addressed during the following years and identifies among them the needs that could be addressed by specific projects.
Scope:
- Nature and Biodiversity
- Facilitating knowledge sharing & good implementation practices for implementation of the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products
- An EU system to assess management effectiveness of Natura 2000 sites and other protected areas (EU-PAME)
- Training for a better management of Natura 2000 sites and restoration of nature
- Overcoming the coordination barriers to implement nature-based water retention options
- Developing guidance on crop-specific rules for pest management
- Circular Economy and Quality of Life
- Designing closed loop recycling cycles for tyres for mitigating the impacts of the restriction for the use of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rubber in-fill materials
- Validating New Approach Test Methods for replacing animals in testing and science
- Promoting and monitoring the Safe and Sustainable by Design framework uptake
- Implementation of the Mediterranean Emission Control Areas for sulphur oxides and to support a similar process starting in the Atlantic
Activities that can be funded?
- Facilitating knowledge sharing & good implementation practices for implementation of the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products
- Funding rate: 90% – Maximum EU contribution: EUR 0.9 million
- Duration: 36 months
- Expected Impacts
- By supporting Member States to implement the new rules and to promote the consumption of ‘deforestation-free’ products, it is expected that the project will contribute to reduce the EU’s impact on global deforestation and forest degradation, bringing down greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.
- An EU system to assess management effectiveness of Natura 2000 sites and other protected areas (EU-PAME)
- Funding rate: 90% – Maximum EU contribution: EUR 1.5 million
- Duration: 48 months
- Expected Impacts
- Fully operational EU system for assessment of management effectiveness of protected areas established
- Guidance and support to Member States ensured
- Increased awareness about the EU PAME system and engagement of stakeholders ensured
- Information provided for the tracking of commitments under the Biodiversity strategy and for the implementation of Nature Directives
- Actual improvement in the management effectiveness of protected areas
- Training for a better management of Natura 2000 sites and restoration of nature
- Funding rate: 90% – Maximum EU contribution: EUR 1.5 million
- Duration: 48 months
- Expected Impacts
- Training system and modules available potentially to all site managers/restoration managers across the EU by the end of the project.
- Knowledge and skills of site/restoration managers from all MS improved by the end of the project, facilitating (mainly thereafter) the effective management and restoration of a significant portion of the protected area network and beyond.
- Key obstacles to the capacity building of site managers are removed as a) a result of a communication network among the participants of the trainings, and b) with the establishment of a reference knowledge depository (for guidelines, best practices, practical experiences, governance).
- Communication with and engagement of stakeholders improved.
- Overcoming the coordination barriers to implement nature-based water retention options
- Funding rate: 90% – Maximum EU contribution: EUR 0.5 million
- Duration: 24 months
- Expected Impacts
- A tangible step forward in practical, achievable planning and implementation for nature-based water retention applications at river basin scale, namely a concrete and detailed plan, at the regional/river basin-wide scale, that if implemented by the identified authorities and stakeholders (who ideally would be the LIFE project’s partners) would lead to a practical, large-scale approach to the implementation of water-related NbS. It will also result in concrete recommendations to address the challenges of crosssectoral, possibly also cross-border, coordination involving different levels of governance as well as concrete project proposals or a demonstration project. The project will contribute to the EU’s water resilience agenda by identifying potential implementation gaps and good practices, as well as potential policy changes to be introduced in due time.
- Developing guidance on crop-specific rules for pest management
- Funding rate: 90% – Maximum EU contribution: EUR 2 million
- Duration: 18 months
- Expected impacts: The project will support EU efforts in mitigating the impacts and risks of pesticide use on biodiversity and accelerate transition towards a more sustainable agriculture. It will provide a critical contribution to the objectives of the European Green Deal on biodiversity and sustainable food systems. The results of this project will also contribute to global biodiversity efforts. One of the global targets 2030 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is to reduce by half the overall risk posed by pesticides.
- Designing closed loop recycling cycles for tyres for mitigating the impacts of the restriction for the use of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rubber in-fill materials
- Funding rate: 90% – Maximum EU contribution: EUR 1 million
- Duration: 18-24 months
- Expected Impacts
- Ending stockpiles of used tyres or their export to lower income countries; stopping non-fully circular recycling practices (such as rubber infill for sport pitches); creating opportunities for material that may otherwise be landfilled or incinerated (including outside the EU) and pollute soil and water.
- Validating New Approach Test Methods for replacing animals in testing and science
- Funding rate: 90% – Maximum EU contribution: EUR 1 million
- Duration: 24 months
- Expected impacts Better environmental protection from hazardous chemicals whilst reducing the number of animals being used in testing.
- Promoting and monitoring the Safe and Sustainable by Design framework uptake
- Funding rate: 90% – Maximum EU contribution: EUR 1 million
- Duration: 18 months
- Expected Impacts Better environmental and health protection; non-toxic material cycles
- Implementation of the Mediterranean Emission Control Areas for sulphur oxides and to support a similar process starting in the Atlantic
- Funding rate: 90% – Maximum EU contribution: EUR 0.7 million
- Duration: 36 months
- Expected impacts: The project would therefore have a clear added value in terms of EU policy implementation and development (including the European Green Deal) and help create a level playing field between seaports and ship operators.
Specific Project
- The proposed project should:
- finalise the proposed EU methodology and test an IT system for its implementation that will be developed during 2023 with the European Environment Agency, providing a fully operational EUPAME system (for Protected Area Management Effectiveness);
- Ensure engagement and support of Member States and protected area managers to practically implement the methodology, including through elaboration of guidance and support mechanism;
- Increase awareness about the EU-PAME system.
- The project should be implemented in close collaboration with DG Environment and the EEA.
Eligibility Criteria
- In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
- non-EU countries:
- listed EEA countries and countries associated to the LIFE Programme (associated countries) or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature (list of participating countries) the coordinator must be established in an eligible country.
For more information, visit EC.