This Regulation establishes a Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) (the LIFE Programme) for the period of the multiannual financial framework 2021 to 2027. The duration of the LIFE Programme is aligned with the duration of the multiannual financial framework.
This Regulation also lays down the objectives of the LIFE Programme, its budget for the period 2021-2027, the forms of Union funding and the rules for providing such funding.
Article 2 -
Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:
(1)
'strategic nature projects' means projects that support the achievement of Union nature and biodiversity objectives by implementing coherent programmes of action in Member States in order to mainstream those objectives and priorities into other policies and financing instruments, including through coordinated implementation of the prioritized action frameworks adopted pursuant to Directive 92/43/EEC;
(2)
'strategic integrated projects' means projects that implement, on a regional, multi-regional, national or transnational scale, environmental or climate strategies or action plans developed by Member States' authorities and required by specific environmental, climate or relevant energy legislation or policy of the Union, while ensuring that stakeholders are involved and promoting coordination with and mobilisation of at least one other Union, national or private funding source;
(3)
'technical assistance projects' means projects that support the development of capacity for participation in standard action projects, the preparation of strategic nature projects and strategic integrated projects, the preparation for accessing other Union financial instruments, or other measures necessary for preparing the upscaling or replication of results from other projects funded by the LIFE Programme, its predecessor programmes or other Union programmes, with a view to pursuing the LIFE Programme objectives set out in Article 3; such projects can also include capacity building related to the activities of Member States' authorities for effective participation in the LIFE Programme;
(4)
'standard action projects' means projects, other than strategic integrated projects, strategic nature projects or technical assistance projects, that pursue the specific objectives of the LIFE Programme;
(5)
'blending operations' means actions supported by the Union budget, including within blending facilities pursuant to point (6) of Article 2 of the Financial Regulation, that combine non-repayable forms of support, financial instruments, or both, from the Union budget with repayable forms of support from development or other public finance institutions, as well as from commercial finance institutions and investors;
(6)
'legal entity' means any natural person or any legal person created and recognised as such under national law, Union law or international law, which has legal personality and the capacity to act in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or any entity without a legal personality in accordance with point (c) of Article 197(2) of the Financial Regulation.
Article 3 -
Objectives
1. The general objective of the LIFE Programme shall be to contribute to the shift towards a sustainable, circular, energy-efficient, renewable energy-based, climate-neutral and - resilient economy, in order to protect, restore and improve the quality of the environment, including the air, water and soil, and to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and to tackle the degradation of ecosystems, including by supporting the implementation and management of the Natura 2000 network, thereby contributing to sustainable development. The LIFE Programme shall also support the implementation of general action programmes adopted in accordance with Article 192(3) TFEU.
2. The LIFE Programme shall have the following specific objectives:
(a)
to develop, demonstrate and promote innovative techniques, methods and approaches for reaching the objectives of Union legislation and policy on the environment, including nature and biodiversity, and on climate action, including the transition to renewable energy and increased energy efficiency, and to contribute to the knowledge base and to the application of best practice, in particular in relation to nature and biodiversity, including through the support of the Natura 2000 network;
(b)
to support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of relevant Union legislation and policy on the environment, including nature and biodiversity, and on climate action and the transition to renewable energy or increased energy efficiency, including by improving governance at all levels, in particular by enhancing the capacities of public and private actors and the involvement of civil society;
(c)
to act as a catalyst for the large-scale deployment of successful technical and policy-related solutions for implementing relevant Union legislation and policy on the environment, including nature and biodiversity, and on climate action and the transition to renewable energy or increased energy efficiency, by replicating results, by integrating related objectives into other policies and into public and private sector practices, by mobilising investment and by improving access to finance.
Article 4 -
Structure
The LIFE Programme shall be structured as follows:
(1)
the field Environment, which includes:
(a)
the subprogramme Nature and Biodiversity;
(b)
the subprogramme Circular Economy and Quality of Life;
(2)
the field Climate Action, which includes:
(a)
the subprogramme Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation;
(b)
the subprogramme Clean Energy Transition.
Article 5 -
Budget
1. The financial envelope for the implementation of the LIFE Programme for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2027 shall be EUR 5 432 000 000 in current prices.
2. The indicative distribution of the amount referred to in paragraph 1 shall be:
(a)
EUR 3 488 000 000 for the field Environment, of which
(i)
EUR 2 143 000 000 for the subprogramme Nature and Biodiversity, and
(ii)
EUR 1 345 000 000 for the subprogramme Circular Economy and Quality of Life;
(b)
EUR 1 944 000 000 for the field Climate Action, of which
(i)
EUR 947 000 000 for the subprogramme Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, and
(ii)
EUR 997 000 000 for the subprogramme Clean Energy Transition.
3. The amounts referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be without prejudice to provisions on flexibility set out in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 and in the Financial Regulation.
4. Notwithstanding paragraph 2, at least 60 % of the budgetary resources allocated to projects supported by way of action grants under the field Environment referred to in point (a) of paragraph 2 shall be dedicated to grants for projects supporting the subprogramme Nature and Biodiversity referred to in point (a)(i) of paragraph 2.
5. The LIFE Programme may finance technical and administrative assistance activities by the Commission for its implementation, such as preparatory, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, including on corporate information technology systems, and network activities supporting the LIFE Programme's National Contact Points, including training, mutual learning activities and events to share experience.
6. The LIFE Programme may finance activities implemented by the Commission in support of the preparation, implementation and mainstreaming of environmental, climate or relevant energy legislation and policies of the Union for the purpose of achieving the objectives set out in Article 3. Such activities may include:
(a)
information and communication, including awareness-raising campaigns, and corporate communication regarding the political priorities of the Union, as well as regarding the implementation and transposition status of environmental, climate or relevant energy legislation of the Union;
(b)
studies, surveys, modelling and scenario building;
(c)
preparation, implementation, monitoring, checking and evaluation of legislation, policies and programmes, as well as assessment and analysis of projects not funded by the LIFE Programme, if they serve the objectives set out in Article 3;
(d)
workshops, conferences and meetings;
(e)
networking, and best-practice platforms;
(f)
other activities, such as awarding prizes.
Article 6 -
Third countries associated to the LIFE Programme
1. The LIFE Programme shall be open to the participation of the following third countries:
(a)
members of the European Free Trade Association which are members of the European Economic Area (EEA), in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Agreement on the European Economic Area;
(b)
acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Union programmes established in the respective framework agreements and Association Council decisions or in similar agreements and in accordance with the specific conditions laid down in agreements between the Union and those countries;
(c)
European Neighbourhood Policy countries, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Union programmes established in the respective framework agreements and Association Council decisions or in similar agreements and in accordance with the specific conditions laid down in agreements between the Union and those countries;
(d)
other third countries, in accordance with the conditions laid down in a specific agreement covering the participation of the third country in any Union programme, provided that the agreement:
(i)
ensures a fair balance as regards the contributions and benefits of the third country participating in the Union programmes;
(ii)
lays down the conditions of participation in the programmes, including the calculation of financial contributions to individual programmes, and their administrative costs;
(iii)
does not confer on the third country a decision-making power in respect of the Union programme;
(iv)
guarantees the rights of the Union to ensure sound financial management and to protect its financial interests.
The contributions referred to in point (d)(ii) of the first subparagraph shall constitute assigned revenues in accordance with Article 21(5) of the Financial Regulation.
2. Where a third country participates in the LIFE Programme by means of a decision adopted pursuant to an international agreement or on the basis of any other legal instrument, the third country shall grant the necessary rights and access required for the authorising officer responsible, OLAF and the Court of Auditors to comprehensively exercise their respective competences. In the case of OLAF, such rights shall include the right to carry out investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, provided for in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013.
Article 7 -
International cooperation
In the course of implementing the LIFE Programme, cooperation with relevant international organisations, and with their institutions and bodies, shall be possible where needed for the purpose of achieving the objectives set out in Article 3.
Article 8 -
Synergies with other Union programmes
The Commission shall facilitate the consistent implementation of the LIFE Programme. The Commission and Member States shall facilitate coordination and the attainment of coherence with the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund+ established under a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) ('European Social Fund+'), the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, Horizon Europe, the Connecting Europe Facility established under Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (37) and the InvestEU Programme established under Regulation (EU) 2021/523, in order to create synergies, particularly as regards strategic nature projects and strategic integrated projects, and to support the uptake and replication of solutions developed under the LIFE Programme. The Commission and Member States shall pursue complementarity at all levels.
Article 9 -
Implementation and forms of Union funding
1. The Commission shall implement the LIFE Programme in direct management, or in indirect management with bodies referred to in point (c) of Article 62(1) of the Financial Regulation.
2. The LIFE Programme may provide funding in any of the forms laid down in the Financial Regulation, in particular grants, prizes and procurement. It may also provide financing in the form of financial instruments within blending operations.
3. At least 85 % of the budget for the LIFE Programme shall be allocated:
(a)
to grants as referred to in Article 11(2) and (6);
(b)
to projects financed through other forms of funding to the extent specified in the multiannual work programme referred to in Article 18; or
(c)
where appropriate and to the extent specified in the multiannual work programme referred to in Article 18, to financing in the form of financial instruments within blending operations as referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article.
The Commission shall ensure that the projects financed by other forms of funding are fully in line with the objectives set out in Article 3.
The maximum amount allocated to grants as referred to in Article 11(4) shall be EUR 15 million.
4. The maximum co-financing rates for the eligible actions referred to in points (a) to (d) of Article 11(2) of this Regulation shall be up to 60 % of eligible costs and up to 75 % in the case of projects funded under the subprogramme Nature and Biodiversity, in particular those that concern priority habitats or species, as part of the implementation of Directive 92/43/EEC, or that concern the species of birds considered as a priority for funding by the Committee for Adaptation to Technical and Scientific Progress set up pursuant to Article 16 of Directive 2009/147/EC when necessary to achieve the conservation objective. For the actions referred to in Article 11(6) of this Regulation, the maximum co-financing rate shall be 70 % of the eligible costs. Without prejudice to the relevant and pre-determined maximum co-financing rates, specific rates shall be further specified in the multiannual work programme referred to in Article 18 of this Regulation. The specific rates may be adapted in accordance with the requirements of each subprogramme, project type or type of grant.
For the projects referred to in Article 11(4), the maximum co-financing rates shall not exceed 95 % of eligible costs during the period of the first multiannual work programme; for the second multiannual work programme and subject to confirmation in that work programme, the co-financing rate shall be 75 % of eligible costs.
5. Quality shall be the criterion governing the project evaluation and award process in the LIFE Programme. The Commission shall pursue effective, quality-based geographical coverage across the Union, including by supporting Member States to increase the quality of the projects through capacity building.
CHAPTER II - Eligibility
Article 10 -
Grants
Grants under the LIFE Programme shall be awarded and managed in accordance with Title VIII of the Financial Regulation.
Article 11 -
Eligible actions
1. Only actions implementing the objectives set out in Article 3 shall be eligible for funding.
2. Grants may finance the following types of action:
(a)
strategic nature projects under the subprogramme referred to in point (1)(a) of Article 4;
(b)
strategic integrated projects under the subprogrammes referred to in points (1)(b), (2)(a) and 2(b) of Article 4;
(c)
technical assistance projects;
(d)
standard action projects;
(e)
other actions needed for the purpose of achieving the general objective set out in Article 3(1), including coordination and support actions aimed at capacity building, at dissemination of information and of knowledge, and at awareness-raising to support the transition to renewable energy and increased energy efficiency.
3. Projects under the subprogramme Nature and Biodiversity that concern the management, restoration and monitoring of Natura 2000 sites in accordance with Directives 92/43/EEC and 2009/147/EC shall take account of priorities set out in national and regional plans, strategies and policies on nature and biodiversity conservation, including in prioritised action frameworks adopted pursuant to Directive 92/43/EEC.
4. Technical assistance projects for capacity building related to the activities of Member States' authorities to improve the effective participation in the LIFE programme shall support activities of those Member States with low effective participation, with a view to improving the National Contact Points' services across the Union and to increasing the overall quality of submitted proposals.
5. Grants may finance activities outside a Member State or an overseas country or territory linked to it, provided that the project pursues Union environmental and climate objectives and those activities are necessary to ensure the effectiveness of interventions carried out in a Member State or in an overseas country or territory linked to it, or to support international agreements to which the Union is party by providing a contribution to the organisation of multilateral conferences. The maximum contribution provided to international agreements for the organisation of multilateral conferences shall be EUR 3,5 million for the duration of the LIFE programme indicated in Article 1, and such grants shall not count towards meeting the threshold referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 9(3).
6. Operating grants shall support the functioning of non-profit making entities which are involved in the development, implementation and enforcement of Union legislation and policy, and which are primarily active in the area of the environment or climate action, including energy transition, in line with the objectives of the LIFE Programme set out in Article 3.
Article 12 -
Eligible entities
1. The eligibility criteria set out in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article shall apply to entities, in addition to the criteria set out in Article 197 of the Financial Regulation.
2. The following entities shall be eligible:
(a)
legal entities established in any of the following countries or territories:
(i)
a Member State or an overseas country or territory linked to it;
(ii)
a third country associated to the LIFE Programme;
(iii)
other third countries listed in the multiannual work programme referred to in Article 18, under the conditions specified in paragraphs 4 and 5 of this Article;
(b)
any legal entity created under Union law or any international organisation.
3. Natural persons shall not be eligible.
4. Legal entities established in a third country which is not associated to the LIFE Programme shall be exceptionally eligible to participate where this is necessary for the achievement of the objectives of a given action to ensure the effectiveness of interventions carried out in the Union.
5. Legal entities established in a third country which is not associated to the LIFE Programme shall in principle bear the cost of their participation.
Article 13 -
Direct award
Without prejudice to Article 188 of the Financial Regulation, grants may be awarded, without a call for proposals, to the bodies listed in Annex I to this Regulation.
Article 14 -
Specification of award criteria
The Commission shall set out award criteria in the multiannual work programme referred to in Article 18 and calls for proposals, taking into account the following principles:
(a)
projects financed by the LIFE Programme are to be of Union interest by making a significant contribution to the achievement of the general and specific objectives of the LIFE Programme set out in Article 3, are not to undermine those objectives and, whenever possible, are to promote the use of green public procurement;
(b)
projects are to ensure a cost-effective approach, and be technically and financially coherent;
(c)
projects with the highest potential for contributing to the achievement of the objectives set out in Article 3 are to be given priority;
(d)
projects that provide co-benefits and promote synergies between the subprogrammes referred to in Article 4 are to benefit from a bonus in their evaluation;
(e)
projects with the highest potential for being replicated and taken-up by the public or private sector or for mobilising the largest investments or financial resources (potential to act as a catalyst) are to benefit from a bonus in their evaluation;
(f)
the replicability of standard action project results is to be ensured;
(g)
projects that build on or upscale the results of other projects funded by the LIFE Programme, its predecessor programmes or by other Union funds, are to benefit from a bonus in their evaluation;
(h)
where appropriate, special attention is to be given to projects in geographical areas with specific needs or vulnerabilities, such as areas with specific environmental challenges or natural constraints, trans-border areas, areas of high natural value and outermost regions.
Article 15 -
Eligible costs related to purchase of land
In addition to the criteria set out in Article 186 of the Financial Regulation, costs relating to the purchase of land shall be considered eligible, provided that the following conditions are fulfilled:
(a)
the purchase contributes to improving, maintaining and restoring the integrity of the Natura 2000 network set up pursuant to Article 3 of Directive 92/43/EEC, including by improving connectivity through the creation of corridors, stepping stones, or other elements of green infrastructure;
(b)
land purchase is the only or most cost-effective way of achieving the conservation outcome sought;
(c)
the land purchased is reserved on a long-term basis for uses consistent with the specific objectives of the LIFE Programme; and
(d)
the Member State concerned ensures, by way of transfer or otherwise, the long-term assignment of such land to nature conservation purposes.
Article 16 -
Cumulative and alternative financing
1. An action that has received a contribution from another Union programme may also receive a contribution under the LIFE Programme, provided that the contributions do not cover the same costs and that the action pursues the environmental or climate objectives set out in Article 3, and does not undermine any of them. The rules of the relevant Union programme shall apply to the corresponding contribution to the action. The cumulative financing shall not exceed the total eligible costs of the action. The support from the different Union programmes may be calculated on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the documents setting out the conditions for support.
2. Support from the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund+ or the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, in accordance with the relevant provisions of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy and the relevant provisions of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the Common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, may be granted to actions awarded a Seal of Excellence certification under the LIFE Programme by complying with the following cumulative conditions:
(a)
they have been assessed in a call for proposals under the LIFE Programme;
(b)
they comply with the minimum quality requirements of that call for proposals;
(c)
they cannot be financed under that call for proposals due to budgetary constraints.
CHAPTER III - Blending operations
Article 17 -
Blending operations
Blending operations under the LIFE Programme shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/523 and Title X of the Financial Regulation, with due regard being had to sustainability and transparency requirements.
CHAPTER IV - Programming, monitoring, reporting and evaluation
Article 18 -
Multiannual work programme
1. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, adopt multiannual work programmes for the LIFE Programme. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 22(2).
2. Each multiannual work programme shall specify, in line with the objectives set out in Article 3, the following:
(a)
the amounts to be allocated between needs under each subprogramme and between different types of funding, as well as the maximum total amount to be allocated to grants as referred to in points (a) and (b) of Article 11(2);
(b)
the maximum total amount for financing in the form of financial instruments within blending operations under the LIFE Programme, where applicable;
(c)
the maximum total amount for grants to be awarded to the bodies listed in Annex I in accordance with Article 13;
(d)
the project topics or specific needs for which there is pre-allocation of funding for the projects referred to in points (c) and (d) of Article 11(2);
(e)
the strategies and plans targeted by strategic integrated projects for which funding may be requested for projects as referred to in point (b) of Article 11(2);
(f)
the maximum eligibility period for the implementation of the projects;
(g)
indicative timetables for the calls for proposals for the period covered by the multiannual work programme;
(h)
the technical methodology for the project submission and selection procedure, and the award criteria in accordance with the elements referred to in Article 14;
(i)
the co-financing rates referred to in Article 9(4);
(j)
the maximum co-financing rates for the eligible actions referred to in point (e) of Article 11(2);
(k)
where relevant, detailed rules concerning the application of cumulative and alternative financing;
(l)
low effective participation and eligible activities and award criteria for technical assistance projects for the capacity building related to the activities of Member States' authorities for effective participation in the LIFE programme.
3. The duration of the first multiannual work programme shall be four years and the duration of the second multiannual work programme shall be three years.
4. In the framework of the multiannual work programmes, the Commission shall publish calls for proposals for the period covered. The Commission shall ensure that unused funds in a given call for proposals are reallocated between the different types of actions referred to in Article 11(2) within the same field.
5. The Commission shall ensure that stakeholders are consulted in the development of the multiannual work programmes.
Article 19 -
Monitoring and reporting
1. The Commission shall report on progress of the LIFE Programme towards the achievement of the objectives set out in Article 3, based on the indicators set out in Annex II.
2. To ensure the effective assessment of the LIFE Programme's progress towards the achievement of its objectives, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 23, to amend Annex II to review or complement the indicators where considered necessary, including with a view to their alignment with indicators set out for other Union programmes, and to supplement this Regulation with provisions on the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation framework.
3. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 23 to supplement this Regulation by defining, on the basis of Annex II, specific indicators for each subprogramme and type of project.
4. The Commission shall ensure that data for monitoring programme implementation and results are collected efficiently, effectively, and in a timely manner. To that end, and in accordance with relevant methodologies, proportionate reporting requirements shall be imposed on recipients of Union funds to enable the collection of aggregable project-level output and impact indicators for all relevant specific environment and climate policy objectives, including in relation to Natura 2000 and the emissions of certain atmospheric air pollutants, including CO2.
5. The Commission shall regularly monitor and report on mainstreaming of climate and biodiversity objectives, including the amount of expenditure. While taking into account the demand-driven nature of the LIFE programme, 61 % of the overall amount of the LIFE Programme as defined in Article 5 is expected to contribute to the budget-wide target of at least 30 % of expenditure contributing to climate objectives. This contribution shall be tracked through the Union climate marker system. This Regulation shall contribute to mainstreaming biodiversity action in the Union's policies and to the achievement of the overall ambition of providing 7,5 % of annual spending under the multiannual financial framework to biodiversity objectives in 2024 and 10 % of annual spending under the multiannual financial framework to biodiversity objectives in 2026 and in 2027, while considering the existing overlaps between climate and biodiversity goals.
Biodiversity-related spending shall be tracked using an effective, transparent and comprehensive methodology to be set out by the Commission, in cooperation with the European Parliament and with the Council, as referred to in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources. Those tracking methods shall be used to quantify the commitment appropriations expected to contribute respectively to climate and to biodiversity objectives over the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027 at the appropriate level of disaggregation. The spending shall be presented annually in the Programme Statement. The contribution of the LIFE Programme to Union climate and biodiversity objectives shall be reported regularly in the context of evaluations and the annual report.
6. The Commission shall assess synergies between the LIFE Programme and other complementary Union programmes and those between its subprogrammes.
Article 20 -
Evaluation
1. The Commission shall carry out evaluations provided for under this Regulation in a timely manner to feed into the decision-making process with due regard for coherence, synergies, Union added value and long-term sustainability, taking account of the Union's climate and environment priorities.
2. The Commission shall perform the mid-term evaluation of the LIFE Programme once there is sufficient information available about its implementation, but no later than 42 months after the start of the implementation of the LIFE Programme, making use of the indicators as set out in accordance with Annex II.
The evaluation shall cover at least the following:
(a)
qualitative and quantitative aspects of the implementation of the LIFE Programme;
(b)
efficiency of the use of resources;
(c)
the degree to which the objectives of all the measures have been achieved, specifying where possible, results and impacts;
(d)
the actual or expected success of projects in leveraging other Union funds, taking into account, in particular, the benefits of increased coherence with other Union financial instruments;
(e)
the extent to which synergies between the objectives have been reached and the complementarity of the LIFE Programme with other relevant Union programmes;
(f)
the Union added value and long-term impact of the LIFE Programme, with a view to taking a decision on the renewal, modification or suspension of measures;
(g)
the extent to which stakeholders have been involved;
(h)
a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the contribution of the LIFE Programme to the conservation status of habitats and species listed in Directives 92/43/EEC and 2009/147/EC;
(i)
an analysis of the geographical coverage across the Union, as referred to in Article 9(5), and, if no such coverage is reached, an analysis of the underlying reasons for such lack of coverage.
3. At the end of the implementation of the LIFE Programme, but no later than four years after the end of the period specified in the second paragraph of Article 1, the Commission shall carry out a final evaluation of the LIFE Programme.
4. The Commission shall communicate the conclusions of the evaluations accompanied by its observations to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the European Economic and Social Committee and to the Committee of the Regions. The Commission shall make the results of the evaluations publicly available.
CHAPTER V - Transitional and final provisions
Article 21 -
Information, communication and publicity
1. The recipients of Union funding shall acknowledge the origin of those funds and ensure the visibility of the Union funding, in particular when promoting the projects and their results, by providing coherent, effective and proportionate targeted information to multiple audiences, including the media and the public. For this purpose, the recipients shall use the LIFE Programme logo, which is depicted in Annex III. All durable goods acquired in the framework of the LIFE Programme shall bear the LIFE Programme logo except in cases specified by the Commission. Where the use of the LIFE Programme logo is not feasible, the LIFE Programme shall be mentioned in all communication activities, including on notice boards at strategic places visible to the public.
2. The Commission shall implement information and communication actions relating to the LIFE Programme, to actions taken pursuant to the LIFE Programme and to the results obtained. Financial resources allocated to the LIFE Programme shall also contribute to the corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, insofar as those priorities are related to the objectives referred to in Article 3.
Article 22 -
Committee procedure
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee for the LIFE Programme. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.
3. Where the Committee delivers no opinion, the Commission shall not adopt the draft implementing act and the third subparagraph of Article 5(4) of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.
4. The Commission shall report annually to the Committee on the overall progress of the implementation of the LIFE Programme's subprogrammes and on particular actions under the LIFE Programme, inter alia on blending operations implemented through budgetary resources allocated from the LIFE Programme.
Article 23 -
Exercise of the delegation
1. The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down in this Article.
2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 19(2) and (3) shall be conferred on the Commission until 31 December 2028.
3. The delegation of power referred to in Article 19(2) and (3) may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force.
4. Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission shall consult experts designated by each Member State in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making.
5. As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council.
6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 19(2) and (3) shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or by the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and to the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council.
Article 24 -
Repeal
Regulation (EU) No 1293/2013 is hereby repealed with effect from 1 January 2021.
Article 25 -
Transitional provisions
1. This Regulation shall not affect the continuation or modification of the actions initiated pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 614/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council (38) and to Regulation (EU) No 1293/2013, which shall continue to apply to the projects concerned until their closure.
2. The financial envelope for the LIFE Programme may also cover technical and administrative assistance expenses necessary to ensure the transition between the LIFE Programme and the measures adopted under Regulations (EC) No 614/2007 and (EU) No 1293/2013.
3. If necessary, appropriations may be entered in the Union budget beyond 2027 to cover the expenses provided for in Article 5(5), to enable the management of projects not completed by 31 December 2027.
4. Reflows from financial instruments established under Regulation (EU) No 1293/2013 may be invested in the financial instruments established under Regulation (EU) 2021/523.
5. The appropriations corresponding to assigned revenue arising from the repayment of amounts wrongly paid pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 614/2007 or (EU) No 1293/2013 shall be used, in accordance with Article 21 of the Financial Regulation, to finance the LIFE Programme.
Article 26 -
Entry into force and application
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall apply from 1 January 2021.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
