While technical progress has been made on the draft LIFE regulation post-2020, the main financial instrument specifically dedicated to the Environment and Climate Action, there has not yet been enough progress to hold the next interinstitutional negotiation meeting, initially scheduled for 7 February (see EUROPE 12169).
This issue has not been discussed by the ambassadors of the Twenty-Eight (Coreper) on Friday 1 February and will therefore return to the Council working group.
“Everyone attaches great importance to the LIFE programme and the positions of the Council and Parliament on its priorities are not far apart, but we need more time to agree on the precise wording, word for word, of the text", said a diplomatic source.
The date of 27 February has been set for the next trilogue, without excluding that another one may take place before or after, but "no date has yet been set”.
The Romanian Presidency of the Council remains hopeful of reaching a partial agreement on this dossier in February, if possible - a partial agreement taking into account that the financial envelope of the LIFE programme will depend on the outcome of the negotiations on the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027.
Time is of the essence because, for the text to be adopted by Parliament at the April plenary session - before the European elections - it is necessary to conclude the partial agreement before the beginning of March. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)