SMEs and a range of other European organisations can now apply for funding from the EU to support a wide variety of “green” projects. In July, the European Commission published a call for proposals under its LIFE+ programme, a financial instrument which aims to protect and nurture the natural environment.

The LIFE+ programme supports the development and implementation of EU policy on the environment and covers three specific areas: nature and biodiversity; environmental policy and governance; and information and communications.

The Commission has built a four-month consultation period into the call timetable to help applicants submit good quality proposals. Advice on the call will be provided through a series of workshops, to take place in every Member State between July and November 2008.

Applicants must send their proposals to Member State authorities by 21 November 2008.

More than €207 million has been made available for the 2008 call, which covers a range of issues. Under nature and biodiversity, grants will fund projects that aim to protect, conserve and restore natural systems, habitats and flora and fauna.

Policy and governance themes include climate change, water management, air quality, soil preservation and initiatives that aim to improve the environmental performance of urban areas. The call also covers activities that seek to disseminate information and raise awareness on environmental issues, including forest fire prevention.

Project proposals will then be evaluated by the Commission between January and July 2009, before grant agreements are signed by 31 December 2009.Successful applicants could expect to start work on projects funded by this call from January 2010.

Read the call for proposals here

COMMISSION LIFE+CALL FOR PROPOSALS 2008 2008/C 178/20

The Commission invites entities registered in the European Union to present proposals for the LIFE+call for
proposals 2008.
Applications
Proposals must be written on specific application forms.These forms and the application guide that includes
detailed explanations in regard to eligibility and procedures can be obtained from the Commission's website
on the following address:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/lifeplus.htm
Proposals must be submitted on CD-ROM or DVD in an electronic PDF format that is based on a scan of
the original printed A4 format paper forms.
Beneficiaries
Proposals must be presented by entities registered in the Member States of the European Union being public
and/or private bodies,actors and institutions.
The following themes are covered by this announcement
1.LIFE+Nature and Biodiversity
Principal objective:To protect,conserve,restore,monitor and facilitate the functioning of natural systems,
natural habitats,wild flora and fauna,with the aim of halting the loss of biodiversity,including diversity
of genetic resources,within the EU by 2010.
2.LIFE+Environment Policy and Governance
Principal objectives:
—Climate change:To stabilise greenhouse gas concentration at a level that prevents global warming
above 2 °C.
—Water:To contribute to enhanced water quality by developing cost-effective measures to achieve
good ecological status in view of developing the first river basin management plan under Directive
2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (Water Framework Directive)by 2009.
—Air:To achieve levels of air quality that do not give rise to significant negative impacts on and risks
to human health and the environment.
—Soil:To protect and to ensure the sustainable use of soil by preserving soil functions,preventing
threats to soil,mitigating their effects and restoring degraded soils.
—Urban environment:To contribute to improving the environmental performance of Europe's urban
areas.
—Noise:To contribute to policy development and implementation on environmental noise.
15.7.2008 C 178/22 Official Journal of the European Union ENഊ—Chemicals:To improve the protection of environment and health from risks posed by chemicals by
2020 by implementing chemicals legislation,in particular Regulation (EC)No 1907/2006 of the
European Parliament and of the Council (REACH)and the Thematic Strategy on the sustainable use
of pesticides.
—Environment and health:To develop the information base for policy on the environment and
health (the Environment and Health Action Plan for 2004 to 2010).
—Natural resources and waste:To develop and implement policies designed to ensure sustainable
management and use of natural resources and waste,and to improve the environmental perfor-
mances of products,sustainable production and consumption patterns,waste prevention,recovery
and recycling;to contribute to the effective implementation of the Thematic Strategy on the preven-
tion and recycling of waste.
—Forests:To provide,especially through an EU coordination network,a concise and comprehensive
basis for policy relevant information on forests in relation to climate change (impact on forest
ecosystems,mitigation,substitution effects),biodiversity (baseline information and protected forest
areas),forest fires,forest conditions and the protective functions of forests (water,soil and infrastruc-
ture)as well as contributing to the protection of forests against fires.
—Innovation:To contribute to developing and demonstrating innovative policy approaches,technolo-
gies,methods and instruments to assist in the implementation of the Environmental Technologies
Action Plan (ETAP).
—Strategic approaches:To promote the effective implementation and enforcement of Community
environmental legislation and improve the knowledge base for environmental policy;to improve the
environmental performance of SMEs.
Whilst any project proposal dealing with the above-mentioned principal objectives is welcome,the
Commission would favour those dealing with climate change.
3.LIFE+Information and Communication
Principal objective:To disseminate information and raise awareness on environmental issues,including
forest fire prevention;and to provide support for accompanying measures,such as information,commu-
nication actions and campaigns,conferences and training,including training on forest fire prevention.
Whilst any project proposal dealing with the above-mentioned principal objective is welcome,the
Commission would favour those dealing with halting the loss of biodiversity.
EU Cofinancing rates
1.LIFE+Nature and Biodiversity projects
—The rate of Community financial support shall be a maximum of 50 %of the eligible costs.
—Exceptionally,a maximum cofinancing rate of 75 %is applicable to proposals which target priority
habitats/species of the Birds'and Habitats'Directives.
2.LIFE+Environment Policy and Governance
—The rate of Community financial support shall be a maximum of 50 %of the eligible costs.
3.LIFE+Information and Communication
—The rate of Community financial support shall be a maximum of 50 %of the eligible costs.
Deadline
Project proposals shall be submitted to the national competent authorities by 21 November 2008 .Project
proposals shall be forwarded to the national authority of the Member State in which the beneficiary is regis-
tered.Proposals will then be submitted by the national authorities to the Commission by 5 January 2009 .
15.7.2008 C 178/23 Official Journal of the European Union ENഊBudget involved
The overall budget for project action grants under LIFE+in 2008 is EUR 207 500 000.
At least 50 %of this amount shall be allocated to measures to support the conservation of nature and biodi-
versity.
The indicative national financial allocations for 2008 are as follows:
(EUR)
Country Indicative amount Country Indicative amount Country Indicative amount
AT 3 895 038 FI 7 431 275 MT 2 384 000
BE 4 282 100 FR 18 154 414 NL 6 654 410
BU 4 467 666 GR 7 053 895 PL 9 830 858
CY 2 200 000 HU 5 186 640 PT 5 810 890
CZ 4 117 414 IE 3 267 012 RO 9 033 381
DE 24 152 660 IT 18 265 318 SE 8 528 922
DK 5 095 709 LT 2 856 683 SI 4 471 481
EE 3 438 168 LU 2 268 234 SK 3 170 514
ES 22 228 050 LV 2 750 000 UK 16 505 268
More information
More information including the application guidelines and application forms can be found on the LIFE
website:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/lifeplus.htm
It is also possible to contact the relevant national authorities:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/contact/nationalcontact/index.htm
15.7.2008 C 178/24 Official Journal of the European Union EN