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Climate Action
News article19 December 2017Directorate-General for Climate Action

LIFE programme enhances environmental and climate benefits and provides value for money

The mid-term evaluation of the LIFE programme for environment and climate action has concluded that the programme is effective, efficient, relevant and complementary to other EU programmes and policies and provides significant EU added value. EU...

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The mid-term evaluation of the LIFE programme for environment and climate action has concluded that the programme is effective, efficient, relevant and complementary to other EU programmes and policies and provides significant EU added value. EU Member States have also approved the Commission's implementation plan for the next three years of the programme.

As the only EU fund exclusively dedicated to protecting the environment and fighting and adapting to climate change, the LIFE programme supports projects throughout the EU through grants and financial instruments, addressing a wide range of topics from nature conservation to energy efficiency.

The mid-term evaluation, which covers the first part (2014–2015) of the current funding period (2014–2020), concludes that the programme is delivering in line with set objectives. LIFE helps to make the application of EU environmental and climate legislation and policies consistent across the EU, exchange best practices, transfer know-how and make better use of project results. It also complements other EU programmes and mobilises significant additional investment in innovative green technologies, thus promoting economic growth and the creation of green jobs.

The evaluation also highlights scope for improvement, such as simplifying grant management procedures, enhancing the transfer of results and strengthening the strategic focus. Ensuring flexibility is also important to help the programme stay on target as policy challenges and priorities develop over time.

In a meeting of the LIFE Committee in November, EU Member States gave the Commission the green light to proceed with the adoption of the LIFE Multiannual Work Programme for 2018–2020. The work programme defines the allocation of resources to different policy priority areas and types of support within the sub-programmes for environment (€1243.81 million) and climate action (€413.25 million).

The new work programme will take into account the most recent policy developments such as the Action Plan on Nature, People and the Economy, and the results of the mid-term evaluation and other relevant policy documents as the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Circular Economy Action Plan.

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Details

Publication date
19 December 2017
Author
Directorate-General for Climate Action