The integrated projects were selected under the LIFE Programme by the Commission following a call for proposals covering the year 2020
EC offers over €110m for 11 projects related to environmental and climate protection. (Credit: Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay)
The European Commission (EC) has announced an investment of more than €110m into environmental and climate protection projects across 11 countries as part of the LIFE Programme.
The integrated projects were selected by the Commission following a call for proposals covering the year 2020.
Some of the winning projects include ‘Safeguarding biodiversity in the Baltic Sea’, ‘Steering waste away from landfill’, ‘Improving climate resilience in the Moravian-Silesian Region’, ‘Transforming more waste into resources’, ‘Intelligent and resilient building renovations’, and ‘Reversing biodiversity decline in the Grand Est region’.
According to the EC, the winning projects are to be executed in Cyprus, Denmark, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, France, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Poland.
LIFE Programme is the funding instrument of the European Union (EU) for the environment and climate action. The initiative provides funding support to the most innovative, inspirational, and effective projects in the categories of nature protection, environment, and climate action.
The selected projects are said to play a role in a green recovery from Covid-19 apart from supporting the goals of the European Green Deal of seeing the EU climate neutral and free from pollution by the year 2050.
EC executive vice-president responsible for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans said: “We have no time to waste when it comes to the climate, biodiversity and pollution crises.
“The LIFE programme provides direct support to projects across the EU and enables entire countries and regions to protect and restore nature. Nature is our biggest ally and we need to take care of it so it can take care of us.”
The EC said that integrated projects let member states pool additional funding sources of the EU, which include agricultural, regional, structural, and research funds in addition to national funding and investment from the private sector.
The selected 11 projects are anticipated to draw a combined total of over €10bn of complementary funds.
EC Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “LIFE Programme integrated projects is one of the main tools to make the green transition a reality by delivering targeted changes on the ground. Through these projects, Member States can green their economies, bring back nature and biodiversity, and improve their resilience.”