LIFE - Financial Instrument for Environment, Climate and Energy - Development of the program
LIFE is a financial instrument that has supported environmental and climate protection measures since 1992. It has co-financed more than 5,400 nature and climate protection projects across Europe, including the Natura 2000 network.
A new sub-programme is the "Clean Energy Transition" sub-programme for the implementation of energy projects for a transition to a climate-neutral and climate-resilient economy.
Development of the Program
In the EU, environmental protection has also developed significantly from bird conservation. The EU Birds Directive was adopted as early as 1979. This directive called for, among other things, funding for the conservation of bird sanctuaries. This approach of financial support for habitat protection became the core idea of the later LIFE program.
In 1982, the European Parliament succeeded for the first time in approving a small budget for nature conservation, which funded about a dozen projects. This funding was renewed in 1983 and supported small preparatory projects. These efforts continued to develop in the following years, with their funding framework growing and the tasks becoming more complex and long-term. However, the basic idea of providing financial support for the protection of habitats was always maintained.
Parallel to these European efforts, efforts toward global cooperation in environmental protection also continued to develop. This became particularly evident during the Rio Conference in 1992, which also boosted environmental protection in the EU. That same year, a unified EU financial instrument for the environment was adopted – LIFE was born.
Overview of the individual funding periods
The first funding period, from 1992 to 1995, had a budget of Euro 400 million and financed 731 projects in five areas: promoting sustainable development and environmental quality, protecting habitats and nature, administrative structures and environmental services, education, training and information, and activities in countries outside the EU.
Official Journal of European Communities, L 206, Volume 35, 22 July 1992
LIFE II had a budget of approximately Euro 450 million and was divided into three categories: LIFE Nature for nature conservation measures, LIFE Environment for measures implementing EU environmental policy and legislation, and LIFE Third Countries, which dealt with measures in countries bordering the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas.
Regulation (EC) No. 1404/96 establishing a financial instrument for the environment (LIFE) (EURLEX).
LIFE III was extended until the end of 2006 and had a budget of Euro 640 million; the scope of the LIFE II program was continued, and new accompanying measures were introduced to promote more multinational projects and networking between projects.
Regulation (EC) No. 1655/2000 on the Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE) (EURLEX)
LIFE+ ran for a total of seven years with an increased budget of Euro 2.14 billion. It was divided into three categories:
- LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity, which continued and expanded the former LIFE Nature program;
- LIFE+ Environment Policy and Governance, which continued and expanded the former LIFE Environment program;
- LIFE+ Information and Communication, a new component for co-financing communication and awareness-raising projects.
LIFE 2014-2020 had a budget of Euro 3.4 billion. It was divided into two sub-programmes, one for the environment (75% of the total budget) and one for climate action (25percent of the total). It also included a new category of "jointly financed integrated projects."
The current LIFE 2021-2027 funding period has a budget of Euro 5.43 billion. It comprises four sub-programmes:
- Nature and Biodiversity
- Circular Economy and Quality of Life Climate Change
- Mitigation and Adaptation
- Clean Energy Transition