The LIFE programme, a financial instrument specifically dedicated to environmental, protection of nature, and climate action projects, will be endowed with €5.432 billion in current prices, according to the political agreement on all elements of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework reached by the European Parliament and the EU Council on 10 November (see EUROPE 12599/2).
This is less than what the Commission proposed (€5.450 billion) and much less than Parliament’s initial ambitions of €7.272 billion in current prices.
The amount of the financial envelope was the main unknown, as all aspects of the programme were agreed by Parliament and the EU Council in March 2019, aside from those related to the financial envelope, which was itself subject to the outcome of the budget negotiations (see EUROPE 12219/15, 12212/17).
The indicative allocation of this amount is as follows:
- €3.488 billion for the environment, including €2.143 billion for the ‘Nature and Biodiversity’ sub-programme and €1.345 billion for ‘Circular Economy and Quality of Life’.
- €1.944 billion for Climate Action, including €947 million for the ‘Climate Change’ sub-programme and €997 million for the ‘Transition to Clean Energy’ sub-programme.
The text of the regulation stresses that synergies will be needed with other programmes and policies, such as the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability and the Eco-management and audit scheme.
According to the agreed regulation, the LIFE programme will contribute to ensuring that at least 30% of the total budget supports climate objectives.
Efforts must be stepped up to ensure sustainability and the mainstreaming of biodiversity and climate in other EU funding programmes and the integration of sustainability safeguards in all EU instruments.
Project quality will be the criterion that will determine the evaluation of projects and their eligibility for co-financing under LIFE.
The programme is designed to support the demonstration of techniques, approaches and best practices that can be replicated and scaled up. The text specifies that innovative solutions should contribute to improved environmental performance and sustainability, in particular for the development of sustainable agricultural practices with regard to climate, water, soil, biodiversity and waste.
It should apply between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2027. This will require Poland and Hungary to lift their veto on the EU budget (see separate news item). It will be open to certain non-Member States such as members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) that are members of the European Economic Area, candidate countries and neighbourhood countries. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)