Official

Regulation (EC) No. 1655/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 July concerning the Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE), OJ No L 192, 28.07.2000.

Legal References

• Council Regulation (EEC) No 1973/92 of 21 May 1992 establishing a Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE), OJ L 206, 22.07.1992, amended by Regulation (EC) No 1404/96, OJ L 181, 20.07.1996.

Objectives

The purpose of the Financial Instrument LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of Community environmental policy and of environmental legislation, in particular as regards the integration of the environment into other policies, and to sustainable development in the Community.

The programme aims at co-financing actions in three areas:

• actions concerning nature conservation;

• actions aiming to implement the Community policy and legislation on the environment;

• actions concerning technical assistance activities for promoting sustainable development to be implemented in third countries.

Each of these three areas is the subject of separate fact sheets: “LIFE-Nature”, “LIFE-Environment”, “LIFE-Third Countries”.

Beneficiaries

LIFE-Nature and LIFE-Environment are open to all natural and legal persons residing or established in the countries of the European Union and candidate countries for the accession of Central and Eastern Europe which have concluded Association Agreements with the European Community. The Candidate countries are: Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic.

LIFE-Third Countries is open to persons or companies of whatever legal status residing or established in countries bordering on the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea, other than the Central and East European countries which have concluded Association Agreements. The eligible countries/territories are: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the West Bank and Gaza and, the Baltic shoreline of Russia (Kaliningrad and St Petersburg regions).

LIFE-Third Countries is primarily addressed at administrations by virtue of the fact that it is intended to complement the efforts of national administrations in defining environmental policies and action programmes.

Timetable

The deadline for submitting LIFE-Nature and LIFE-Third Countries projects to the Commission via the National authorities is 31 October 2000, whereas the provisional deadline for LIFE-Environment projects is 30 November 2000. The Commission shall decide the date for forwarding proposals annually.

The duration for the third phase of LIFE shall be for a period of 5 years until 31 December 2004.

Eligible Measures

Refer to fact sheets.

Nature and Amount of financial support

The Commission has adopted a budget of EUR 640m for the next five years (2000-2004). Of the proposed budget, 47% will go towards LIFE-Nature projects, 47% towards LIFE-Environment projects and 6% has been earmarked for LIFE-Third Countries’ activities.

Maximum rates of support

Financial assistance shall be provided by co-financing of projects and accompanying measures and is subject to the following limits:

LIFE-Nature

• 50% of the total eligible costs for nature conservation projects;

• On an exceptional basis, 75% of the total eligible costs for projects dealing with priority habitats or species in Objective 1 areas or if proponent is a NGO. For projects aimed at the continuation of previous LIFE-Nature projects, an upper limit of 40% (non-priority habitat/species) or 60% (priority habitats/species within Objective 1 areas or if the applicant is an NGO) and 50% (for all other projects aimed at priority habitats/species) will be applied;

• 100% of the total eligible costs for accompanying measures.

LIFE-Environment

• 30% of the cost in the case of income generating projects. The beneficiaries’ financial contribution is expected to be at least as much as that of the Community;

• 50% of the cost of other actions;

• 100% of the cost for accompanying measures.

LIFE-Third Countries

• a maximum of 70% of the eligible costs for technical assistance programmes;

• a maximum of 100% of the eligible costs for accompanying measures.

• The Commission will only finance projects whose total costs are above EUR 100,000 and under EUR 600,000.

Implementation

Refer to fact sheets.

Communication support

Information package:

• LIFE-Nature Application File 2000 can be obtained directly from the national authorities and Central and Eastern European Countries or from the Commission. Available languages: German, French, English, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, Finnish, Greek, Danish, and Swedish.

• LIFE-Environment Information Package June 2000 can be obtained from the national authorities and the European Commission. Available languages: German, French, English, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Greek (Application Guide) Available languages: German, French, English, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, Finnish, Greek, Danish, Swedish (Application form).

• LIFE-Third Countries Information Package July 2000 can be obtained from EC delegations in the eligible third country and from the Commission. Available languages: English, French.

  The information packages can be downloaded from the Commission’s web site at the following address: http://ec.europa.eu/life/home.htm.

   

  Information Offices or Additional Sources of Information

  • European Commission
    Environment Directorate General
    200, rue de la Loi B-1049 Brussels
    Belgium

  • For LIFE-Nature 2000:
    European Commission
    DG Environment
    Unit ENV.D.2
    BU-9 03/204
    200, rue de la Loi
    B-1049 Brussels
    Fax: +32 2 296 95 56
    e-mail: nature@cec.eu.int

  • For LIFE-Environnement:
    European Commission
    DG Environment
    Unit ENV.B.4
    BU-5 05/140
    200, rue de la Loi
    B-1049 Brussels
    Fax: +32 2 296 95 61
    Courriel: life-environment@cec.eu.int

  • For LIFE-Pays tiers:
    European Commission
    DG Environment
    ENV-A - Co-ordinator LIFE-Third Countries
    TRM F 5/185
    200, Rue de la Loi
    B-1049 Brussels
    Fax: +32 2 296 95 57
    e-mail: life-tcy@cec.eu.int

    For further information refer to fact sheets.

   

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  date of publication: 09/2000