The European Court of Auditors recognises the value of the strategic projects set up under the LIFE programme, but identifies a lack of clarity in their monitoring and impact, according to a report published on Thursday 11 December.
While standard LIFE projects are generally on a local scale, with an average of six partners, strategic projects involve an average of 18. The aim of these projects is “to help EU Member States implement environmental and climate plans and strategies stemming from EU legislation on a wider territorial scale”.
Of the LIFE programme’s €5.4 billion budget for the period 2021-2027, strategic projects totalled some €436 million in April 2025. For its audit, the Court examined around twenty of the 95 strategic projects funded since their creation in 2014.
The Court concludes that “overall, LIFE strategic projects facilitate the implementation of Member States’ plans and strategies. They do this by involving key stakeholders, mobilising additional funding and promoting continuity despite national policy shifts and budgetary uncertainty”. As a result, none of the 95 strategic projects was cancelled during the eight years of its implementation.
“However”, says Joëlle Elvinger, the member of the Court responsible for the audit, “weaknesses remain in prioritising needs, monitoring progress, and sharing results. In addition, the long-term effects and sustainability of project benefits are often unclear”.
In fact, according to the report, “projects do not necessarily prioritise Member States’ most important environmental and climate needs”, with priority being given to the geographical balance between partners. The Court also noted a lack of precision as to what constitutes “additional funding mobilised”. The European Commission estimated that this funding amounted to an additional €31.6 billion for 2014-2020. Yet the Court does not consider them to be “adequate”, as there is no standard methodology for monitoring this declared funding. It is therefore not possible to know the precise amount or whether it has actually been used for the projects.
It is also difficult to determine whether LIFE strategic projects are in line with their objectives. “LIFE strategic projects are not adequately assessed as regards key objectives, such as changes in governance, stakeholder management and involvement, as well as capacity building and replication”, according to the European auditors.
To ensure that LIFE strategic projects better achieve their objectives, the Court makes a number of recommendations to the Commission: - monitor the alignment of projects with the specific needs of Member States; - communicate more effectively on additional financing; - encourage the use of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (Climate-ADAPT) created “to disseminate and reproduce best practices”.
Finally, the bodies responsible for implementing strategic projects should be more involved in post-LIFE plans, so that the results continue after the funding ends.
To view the European Court of Auditors’ report: https://aeur.eu/f/jy3 (Original version in French by Romain L’Hostis)