Funding
- Community programmes promoting environmental technologies
- Community programmes in the field of development promoting environmental technologies
Community programmes promoting environmental technologies
The Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP)
 | The Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) aims to encourage the competitiveness of European enterprises. With small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as its main target, the programme will support innovation activities (including eco-innovation), provide better access to finance and deliver business support services in the regions. It will encourage a better take-up and use of information and communications technologies (ICT) and help to develop the information society. It will also promote the increased use of renewable energies and energy efficiency. |
Eco-innovation in CIP – making sustainable development become a business reality |
Call for proposals: Pilot and market replication projects on eco-innovation
 | Within the framework of the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme, Eco-innovation supports the first application and further market uptake of some of the best eco-innovative products and services in Europe, and helps overcome those critical barriers that still hamper their commercial success. |
Financial Instruments for Eco-innovation – High growth and innovative facility (GIF)
 | The purpose of CIP financial instruments is to help eco-innovative small businesses to access funding. Among financial instruments for eco-innovation, the high growth and innovative facility is the most significant one. It allows the Commission to participate in venture and risk capital funds set up to provide equity to small businesses in their early (GIF1) and expansion (GIF2) stages. When the fund's Investment focus is on eco-innovative SMEs, the allowed Commission's participation can be higher.
The facility (operational since 2007) is managed by the European Investment Fund (EIF) on behalf of the Commission. Contacts and information for venture and risk capital funds investing in eco-innovation |
Development of new instruments and policy tools in support of eco-innovation
LIFE+
 | LIFE+ is a limited but focused funding instrument providing specific support for the development and implementation of Community environmental policy and legislation and resulting thematic strategies.
Within the component LIFE+ Environment Policy & Governance the programme continues and extends the former LIFE-Environment strand. It will co-finance projects that contribute to the implementation of Community environmental policy, the development of innovative policy approaches, technologies, methods and instruments, the knowledge base as regards environment policy and legislation, and the monitoring (including forest monitoring). |
Seventh RTD Framework Programme (2007-2013)
 | The Seventh RTD Framework Programme for research and technological development for the period 2007 to 2013, adopted by the Council on 18 December 2006, dedicates a larger support to the development of environmental technologies. In addition to traditional collaborative research, FP7 provides support to technology platforms and Joint Technological Initiatives which are large initiatives implemented in public/private partnerships.
Environmental technologies research is included across different themes of the Framework Programme, |
As for the former FP6, an important number of projects related to environmental technologies have been funded. Starting from June 2004, the calls for proposals under these priorities have made a clear reference to ETAP, so that selected projects contributed to the achievement of ETAP objectives.
The CORDIS website is the best way to keep informed of on-going calls and activities in the research and demonstration fields.
Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds
The cohesion policy focuses on the economic and social pillars of sustainable development by strengthening growth, competitiveness, employment and social inclusion. Some of the priorities of the regional policy contribute to the promotion of environmental technologies (including eco-innovations), of sustainable transport and energy systems, and of all other investments improving water, air and soil quality and addressing climate change problems.The regional programmes of these funds can support and facilitate the wide application of technologies when they reach their full-scale development. Check conditions and get information at Inforegio website.
Programme Marco Polo
 | Marco Polo is the European Union's funding programme for projects which shift freight transport from the road to sea, rail and inland waterways.
The programme, which has a budget of €740 million for 2007-2013, has been extended to countries bordering the EU. |
Community Programmes in the field of development promoting environmental technologies
Water Initiative
 | The EU has launched the EU Water Initiative (EUWI) at the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD), Johannesburg, 2002. The EUWI is the EU contribution to meeting the Millennium Development Goals and WSSD targets on water:
The ACP-EU Water Facility [French only], set up in 2004, provides a useful parallel and complementary mechanism to the EUWI. An allocation of € 500 million was agreed and the two tranches of € 250 million each have been made available. |
Energy facility
The European Commission has approved €220 million for the ACP-EU Energy facility to increase access to modern energy services for people in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP).
It is a funding mechanism that will make it possible to use the leverage effect of development aid resources to attract funding from other financial sources. This is a significant contribution to the EU Energy Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Energy that was launched at the World Summit or Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.
GEEREF: a global risk capital fund to boost investment in energy efficiency and renewables
 | The European Commission is setting up a global risk capital fund to mobilise private investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in developing countries and economies in transition.
The Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (GEEREF) will accelerate the transfer, development and deployment of environmentally sound technologies and help to bring secure energy supplies to people in poorer regions of the world. These projects will also combat climate change and air pollution. |
