The European Commission has today granted more than €390 million to 135 new projects across Europe under the EU’s LIFE programme for environment and climate action.
The allocated amount represents more than half of the €579 million total investment needs for these projects. The remaining funding comes from national, regional and local governments, public-private partnerships, businesses, project partners, and civil society organisations.
LIFE projects play a significant role in the EU’s transition to a clean economy, contributing to better preparedness and resilience for extreme weather events and to the EU’s goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2050.
The projects will cover all areas of the LIFE programme, mobilising:
- Over €223 million (of which the EU will provide over €151 million) for 29 nature and biodiversity projects to restore and protect natural habitats and conserve the species that live there.
- Nearly €163 million (of which the EU will provide nearly €91 million) for 36 projects which contribute to a clean, circular, energy-efficient and climate-resilient economy while improving quality of life.
- Over €102 million (of which the EU will provide over €61 million) for 26 projects to strengthen climate resilience through adaptation and mitigation.
- Over €91 million (of which the EU will provide nearly €87 million) for 44 projects aimed at accelerating the clean energy transition.
29 projects from 16 EU Member States have been selected to support nature and biodiversity. They range from the €9.2 million LIFE COCON project to restore coastal sand dunes in Belgium, to Bulgaria’s Diving Ducks LIFE – a €12.6 million project to conserve globally threatened diving ducks along the Black Sea-Mediterranean flyway. Other projects will also rescue and protect rare species, such as the sand jurinea (LIFE for Jurinea, Czechia, €10.7 million); the Saimaa ringed seal (LIFE SOS, Finland, €11.3 million); the Pyrenean desman, also called Iberian trumpet rat (LIFE SAVE Desman, Spain, €17.6 million); and several species of vultures (LIFE for VULTURES, Romania, €7.6 million, Bulgaria, €5.2 million).
36 projects from 13 Member States have been selected to promote a more circular economy and quality of life. The LIFE RESHAPE-D project, with a budget of €25.8 million, will reduce flood risk in Belgium’s Dender Valley by restoring natural-water management processes. In Slovakia, the €4.4 million LIFE ECOPRESSURE project aims to improve air quality and reduces microplastics release using advanced real-time tire inflation technology. In the Netherlands, the LIFE Waterhub, with a budget of €11.1 million, will demonstrate an innovative, flexible wastewater treatment system. With a budget of €2 million, the LIFE MUMs project aims to reduce women’s exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals.
Among the 26 projects on climate resilience and mitigation, the €10 million CARENA LIFE project in Germany will advance nature-based carbon removal techniques. In Ireland, the €4.4 million LIFE FLOW project will integrate nature-based solutions to protect against intense rainfall and storms. With €5.9 million, the LIFE POSTFIRE project will support the Mediterranean region with post-wildfires restoration. In Austria, FGasFree LIFE €1.9 million project will develop refrigerated transport free from fluorinated gases and with €3.4 million, the LIFE CCC BUILD project in Finland will turn forestry and agricultural residues into carbon-storing building materials. With a combined budget of €7.8 million, three other projects aim to advance climate policy implementation, awareness and support EU climate law compliance.
44 new multi-country projects have been selected for funding to support the clean energy transition. These cover the EU and as well as LIFE-associated countries. For example, the €15.8 million LIFE EUCF City Facility 3.0 will cover all EU countries plus Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Ukraine, providing financial and technical assistance to local authorities to invest in sustainable energy. In Portugal, the €733,218 LIFE SET-M project will support the energy renovation of buildings owned by social solidarity institutions. Both LIFE RISE DHC in Croatia and LIFE GREETIN in Denmark, each with a budget of €2.1 million, will support investment in efficient new district heating and cooling systems in several EU countries.
