The meaning of LIFE
'Put Life into your Environment' commanded posters and press releases pouring out from the European Commission's Environment Directorate-General this October, as the first ever 'LIFE Week' got under way. The four-day event, devoted to promoting and celebrating the achievements of the LIFE programme in its three main fields: LIFE-Environment; LIFE-Nature; and LIFE-Third Countries, attracted 1300 participants, who came to visit an exhibition of close to 150 LIFE projects and participate in the numerous working sessions and other parallel events on offer. The LIFE programme is the only EU action devoted entirely to supporting and developing EU environmental policy throughout the Community and bordering regions. It was set up in 1992 as part of the Community's Fifth Environmental Action Programme and is now about to enter its third phase. LIFE offers co-finance support for three areas (usually 50% of the project's budget, and up to 75% in some cases). The three areas cover: - LIFE-Nature: conservation of natural habitats, wild fauna and flora of EU interest; - LIFE-Environment: innovative and demonstration actions involving industry and local communities; - LIFE-Third countries: cooperation with countries bordering the EU in establishing the environmental administrative structures, nature conservation actions and demonstration actions to promote sustainable development. Examples of the areas covered in numerous parallel sessions during LIFE week include protection of endangered birds, cleaner industrial processes, waste management, water and air quality, and technical assistance and demonstration for sustainable development. There was also a session with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on contributing to the implementation of the Habitats Directive, while European environmental NGOs and networks active in the field of the environment had the opportunity to meet and discuss their work. And in addition to this, there was also an awards ceremony to recognise the LIFE projects most successful at communicating and disseminating their results. The Commission has contributed some 450 million euros to the LIFE programme between 1996 and 1999, with 95% of the money going to Nature and Environment actions to prevent and combat pollution. The remainder provided support to non-EU countries - covering nearly 100 projects, in three areas of action (technical assistance, nature protection and demonstration actions). Examples of successful LIFE-Third Countries projects include the setting up of environmental centres for administration and technology in the Baltic cities of Riga and St Petersburg, and the 'MidWet action' (conservation and wise use of wetlands). The third phase of LIFE-Third Countries proposes to focus solely on technical assistance. The LIFE-Environment programme received some 5500 requests for funding between 1992 and 1998, according to statistics available at LIFE Week. Nearly 800 projects have been co-financed as a result at a cost of 321 million euros (23% of this went towards clean technologies, while wastewater management, rural and urban planning and waste control received between 14% and 17% each). 'LIFE-Environment has had a high rate of success, at all levels', says the Commission. It highlights, as examples, the Dutch airline KLM switching practices from acid cleaning of motors and planes to more economic high pressure techniques, as well as numerous advances in innovative management of waste and several promising French battery recycling activities. Looking forward, the Commission has also now announced that the framework regulations for the third phase of the LIFE-Environment programme should promote synergy between projects being financed and the main principles of EU environmental policy for sustainable development. LIFE-Nature, on the other hand, provides investment assistance, co-financing one-off measures to secure, improve, or expand a site for nature conservation. Proposals for phase three of the LIFE programme cover a total of 613 million euros for the period 2000 to 2004, 6% of which would be allocated to LIFE-Third Countries. LIFE Week participants were all presented with goody bags filled with real examples of how LIFE projects are producing environmentally friendly, innovative technologies and products. These include paper made from seaweed (called 'alga carta') and Spanish organic rice from the Ebre Delta. Participants were also able to get hold of the new quarterly publication from the Environment Directorate-General, called 'Environment for Europeans'. In the Magazine, Margot Wallström, the new Commissioner for the Environment, explains the outline of her agenda, which will focus on health, climate change, water, chemicals and enlargement. The magazine includes detailed information about the Environment DG's main activities and concerns over recent months, and outlines the findings of the most important reports published recently on the state of the European environment: It also includes detailed information on the progress of the LIFE programme itself. The huge effort that went into organising LIFE Week seems to have paid off. 'I believe that the outcome of this very successful first environmental week will encourage us to look into the possibility of similar events in the future. This would act as a major event especially dedicated to the environment' Commission Wallström told the delegation at the LIFE Week awards ceremony. The following projects were honoured with awards: - A transboundary programme for the protection of bats in western Central Europe; - A conservation strategy for sand dunes on the Sefton Coast, north-west England; - A full recycling demonstration project for fruit and vegetable containers throughout the EU; - The controlled closing of landfills with after-treatment using waste materials from energy production industries; - The environmental centre for administration and technology in St Petersburg.