LIFE II - Commission approves 188 new projects
The European Commission has approved funding of ECU 90.2 million for 188 projects for the protection of the environment. The projects, supported under the LIFE II programme, have been selected following the LIFE II call for proposals published in November 1996 (OJ No S 222 of 15.11.1996 p. 27). The general objective of the LIFE financial instrument for the environment is to contribute to the development and implementation of the European Union's environmental policy by co-financing priority environmental actions in the European Union and technical assistance actions in third countries from the Mediterranean region and Russia. The Commission expects the results of these demonstration projects in two to five years time. The outcome of the demonstration projects may very well guide the development of future environmental policy initiatives and the allocation of structural financial aid. The LIFE programme is divided into three main sectors for which the selection of projects is conducted seperately: LIFE-Environment; LIFE-Nature; and LIFE-Third Countries. In the LIFE-Environment sector, 112 projects were selected from the 514 proposals submitted. Each of these projects is involved in one of the three priority areas of the sector: - Innovative and demonstrative actions for industry (52 projects); - Demonstration, promotion and technical assistance actions for local authorities (54 projects); - Preparatory actions to support European legislation and policies (6 projects). Waste and water issues dominate among the industry projects and most of the local authorities' projects deal with planning and water treatment. Three of the six preparatory actions projects relate to the development of EU water policies. The total contribution allocated by the European Commission for LIFE-Environment projects is ECU 43.6 million. The LIFE-Nature sector contributes to the implementation of the Community's "Habitats" and "Birds" Directives and, in particular, to the establishment of the European network of protected areas: Natura 2000. The objectives of this network are the on-site management and conservation of the most valuable fauna and flora species and habitats in the European Union. A total of 174 proposals were submitted under this sector, of which 60 projects were selected for funding. The total contribution allocated by the Commission to these projects is ECU 42.4 million. In the LIFE-Third Countries sector, the European Commission selected 16 projects from the 121 proposals submitted. Thirteen projects are to be carried out in the Mediterranean basin countries (Cyprus, Israel, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey) and three in the Russian area of the Baltic Sea. These projects have three areas of activity: - Technical assistance to the establishment of administrative structures in the environmental sector (8 projects); - Conservation and restoration of significant habitats of threatened species (3 projects); - Demonstration actions to promote sustainable development (5 projects). The total contribution allocated by the Commission for LIFE-Third Countries projects is ECU 4.2 million. All eligible project proposals have been evaluated by the Commission services and approved by the relevant management committees (LIFE Committee and Habitats Committee) which include representatives of the 15 Member States.