Applicants have submitted more than 1000 concept notes for traditional LIFE projects under the Environment sub-programme. The deadline for applications closed last week. Some 54% of the concept notes are for Environment & Resource Efficiency projects, 30% for Nature & Biodiversity and the remaining 16% for the Environmental Governance & Information (GIE) strand. Concept notes have come from organisations in all 28 EU Member States.
For the next long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the Commission is proposing to increase funding by almost 60% for LIFE, the EU programme for the environment and climate action.
The LIFE programme is among the EU funding programmes for which the Commission is proposing the largest proportional increase, with a budget of €5.45 billion between 2021 and 2027.* The Commission has integrated climate action into all major EU spending programmes, in particular cohesion policy, regional development, energy, transport, research and innovation, the Common Agricultural Policy as well as the EU's development policy, making the EU budget a driver of sustainability. To implement the Paris Agreement and the commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Commission proposes to raise the level of ambition for climate financing across all EU programmes, with at least 25% of EU expenditure contributing to climate objectives.
The LIFE project LIFE ARCTOS/KASTORIA entitled “Improving conditions of bear-human coexistence in Kastoria Prefecture, Greece - Transfer of best practices” (LIFE09 NAT/GR/000333) received one of three awards for Best of the Best LIFE projects 2018, in the category Nature & Biodiversity. The lifetime of the project was from October 1, 2010 to 30 September 2015.
It implemented a series of actions and applyed specific measures aimed primarily at:
-Eliminate the phenomenon of road accidents involving bears in the road network of Kastoria and, of course, increase road safety for drivers -Addressing incidents of bears approaching populated areas -Dissemination of implementing measures to prevent damage to the rural environment by bears and improve the conditions of human coexistence with wildlife in the prefecture of Kastoria -Increasing/enhancing public awareness on these issues
For further information, please visit the project's website.
Why is the Commission proposing a new Directive to tackle marine litter?
More than 80% of marine litter is plastics. The European Commission is proposing new EU-wide rules that target the 10 single-use plastic products most often found on Europe's beaches and seas, as well as lost and abandoned fishing gear. These products are the biggest part of the problem. Together they constitute 70% of all marine litter items.
Due to its slow decomposition, plastic accumulates in seas, oceans and on beaches in the EU and worldwide. Plastic residues are found in marine species – such as sea turtles, seals, whales and birds, but also in fish and shellfish, and therefore in the human food chain. While plastics are a convenient, adaptable, useful and economically valuable material, they need to be better used, re-used and recycled. When littered, the economic impact of plastics encompasses not just the lost economic value in the material, but also the costs of cleaning up and losses for tourism, fisheries and shipping.
Today EU Member States approved a set of ambitious measures to make EU waste legislation fit for the future, as part of the EU's wider circular economy policy.
The new rules - based on Commission's proposals part of the Circular Economy package presented in December 2015 - will help to prevent waste and, where this is not possible, significantly step up recycling of municipal and packaging waste. It will phase out landfilling and promote the use of economic instruments, such as Extended Producer Responsibility schemes. The new legislation strengthens the "waste hierarchy", i.e. it requires Member States to take specific measures to prioritize prevention, re-use and recycling above landfilling and incineration, thus making the circular economy a reality.
Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella said: "The final approval of new EU waste rules by the Council marks an important moment for the circular economy in Europe. The new recycling and landfilling targets set a credible and ambitious path for better waste management in Europe. Our main task now is to ensure that the promises enshrined in this waste package are delivered on the ground. The Commission will do all it can to support Member States and make the new legislation deliver on the ground."
Pick your favourite green city project and meet its pioneers at EU Green Week 2018. The European Commission has shortlisted 6 finalists among 62 best LIFE projects. The votes will be collected votes until 25 April to choose this years People's Choice Award:
Clean Air: A breath of fresh air
PERHT: Green mobility hubs in historic towns
Housing Landscapes: Making social housing climate-proof
AIRUSE: Cleaner air for Southern European cities
URBANCOWS: A perfect balance between urban beaches, lagoons and cows
EKO-LIFE: Green up your life by eating and moving differently
The EU emissions trading system (ETS) after 2020 foresees the establishment of the Innovation Fund to accelerate the commercialisation of low-carbon technologies.
The Fund will support innovation in low-carbon technologies, processes and products in industrial sectors listed in Annex I of the EU ETS Directive. The Fund should stimulate the construction and operation of projects that aim at the environmentally safe capture, use of CO2 (CCU) and its geological storage (CCS), as well as innovative renewable energy and energy storage technologies in the territory of the European Union. Technologies receiving support should not be commercially available but shall be sufficiently mature to be ready for demonstration at pre-commercial scale.
The public consultation on the establishment of the Innovation Fund started on the 15th January 2018 and will last until the 10th of April. All stakeholders interested can take active part in the public consultation by completing the questionnaire available in this link.
The European Commission is organising an Information & Networking Day on the 2018 LIFE call for project proposals.
The event is open to potential applicants presenting project proposals on green technology, nature protection and climate action. Participants will be invited to a morning information session on the 2018 LIFE call, covering significant changes to the programme compared to previous years.
The afternoon will be dedicated to networking with fellow participants to share experience, match with potential new partners and meet representatives of the LIFE programme from the European Commission.
Registration
Compulsory registration for the event will open in spring 2018.
Location
The LIFE Information Day will take place at the European Commission's Charlemagne Building on rue de la Loi 170, 1000 Brussels.
1st European Resource Efficiency Workshop "Resource Efficiency in the Manufacturing Industry – Methods, tools and good practices"
On 24 November 2017, from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, in Berlin
Hosted by the VDI Centre for Resource Efficiency in the framework of the European Resource Efficiency Knowledge Centre, an initiative of the European Commission
Please find the workshop agenda attached
Please register for the event until 20 November 2017. This workshop will gather around 30 representatives of business support organisations, including established and prospective providers of resource efficiency advisory and consulting services from European countries and regions in the process of setting up resource efficiency services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Villa Kazouli in Kifissia will turn into a surprise villa on Sunday 19th and Monday 20th of November 2017. Theatrical performances, educational games, paintings, handmade products workshops, exhibitions, concerts and speeches regarding prevention and recycling of waste will complement the 2 days event. On Sunday 19th of November, from 15:00 – 20:00, children and adults will have fun through interactive learning of smart ways to reduce their waste, enjoying music, beautiful handmade products from recyclable materials, social performances, etc. On Monday 20th of November, the “4th Consultation Forum on Waste Prevention and Recycling” in the framework of the LIFE RE-WEEE project shall be launched. The Forum will be held from 10:30 - 14:00. Very interesting speeches from experts in the field are expected to raise awareness and provide source for thought to the participating audience.
