Annex: LIFE Integrated Projects - Main contents
Annex: LIFE Integrated Projects.
Projects are listed by country of the project leader (coordinator). The figure in parenthesis is the total project budget per country.
BULGARIA (BG) (16.7 million)
LIFE Integrated Project Environment (air quality)
Uniting Bulgarian cities to improve air quality (LIFE IP CLEAN AIR)
Air pollution from domestic heating and transport is a significant problem in Bulgaria. Nearly 90% of the urban population was exposed to excessive levels of particulate matter (PM10) in 2016, well above the EU average. Levels of fine particulates and benzo[a]pyrene also greatly exceeded target values in many towns and cities. This project brings together six major municipalities, building capacity to implement air quality programmes as required by the EU Air Quality Directive and national legislation. For instance, the project will pilot the replacement of polluting household heating systems and will draft national recommendations for the transition to alternative forms of heating. LIFE IP CLEAN AIR will be a catalyst for the mobilisation of EU structural funding and national funds worth around €1.4 billion in total. The project's actions are expected to contribute to air quality that meets legal requirements in the municipalities of Sofia, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Montana, Ruse, and Stara Zagora, which are home to one-third of the Bulgarian population.
CZECHIA (CZ) (20.4 million)
LIFE Integrated Project Environment (nature conservation)
Delivering joined-up management of Czech nature sites (LIFE-IP: N2K Revisited)
The N2K Revisited project will establish a more effective management system for the EU Natura 2000 network of protected areas in Czechia. Monitoring shows that current trends are insufficient to meet the targets of the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020. For instance, more than 80% of the country's protected habitats and around 70% of its listed species are in an 'unfavourable-bad' status, according to official reports. The new project will link appropriate management more effectively with corresponding planning, based on accurate assessments of the status and trends for species and habitats, accompanied by cooperation with land users. It will also make effective use of knowledge of the benefits provided by natural capital to society and take into account relevant costs. In addition to its own budget, the project will facilitate the coordinated use of complementary funding (at least € 4.3 million) through schemes administered by the environmental sector and the national rural development programme.
ESTONIA (EE) (16.7 million)
LIFE Integrated Project Environment (water)
Improving river basins in eastern Estonia (LIFE IP CleanEST)
River basins in East Estonia are facing important challenges in order to meet the standards required by the EU Water Framework Directive in all water bodies. The main problems are related to pollution by nutrients from agriculture and residential areas and hazardous substances left by the Soviet-era shale oil industry. Dams, power plants and drainage of wetlands have altered the aquatic environment and implementation of water policy is disconnected from the conservation needs of water-dependent habitats, such as lakes and coastal lagoons. LIFE IP CleanEST is bringing together the activities of river basin management plans and nature management plans in the Viru sub-basin of the East Estonia river basin district, an area of nearly a quarter of a million hectares. Making use of some € 57 million of complementary funding from EU, national and private funds, it will enhance cross-sectoral cooperation and administrative capacity to achieve a good status for Estonia's aquatic environment and ensure a favourable status for water-dependent habitats. Lessons from the project could be applied in other river basin districts in Estonia and elsewhere in the EU.
GREECE (GR) (14.2 million)
LIFE Integrated Project Climate Action (climate change adaptation)
Enabling Greece to adapt to climate change (LIFE-IP AdaptInGR)
This project supports the implementation of the national climate change adaptation strategy in Greece and will accelerate the implementation of regional adaptation policy actions. Different pilot projects will be developed for three regions and five municipalities in the priority sectors of coastal risk management, flood risk management, forest fire protection and water management. This ‘replication pool' of real-world experiences will form part of a knowledge base of resources to guide and support national, regional and local authorities in the detailed planning and assessment of actions relevant to climate change adaptation. The project will also identify suitable funding schemes and programmes for the further implementation of adaptation measures and review both the national strategy and regional adaptation action plans. The project budget will be supplemented by up to €446.2 million from EU, national and private sector funds for complementary actions.
ITALY (IT) (19.3 million)
LIFE Integrated Project Climate Action (climate change mitigation)
Decarbonising Alpine transport (Zero Emission LIFE IP)
Transportation is responsible for nearly half of all carbon dioxide emissions in South Tyrol, Italy. The region's climate plan sets out a target for reducing the carbon footprint per resident from 4.9 tonnes per year in 2008 to 1.5 tonnes per year by 2050. In line with these objectives, this LIFE integrated project will be a catalyst for the development of a fully zero-emission road transport and mobility system across the region, along the Brenner corridor (a main European traffic axis) and in neighbouring regions. In addition to the project budget, Zero Emission LIFE IP will facilitate the use of €63 million of complementary funding from EU, national and private sector funds. By 2026, all of South Tyrol's buses will be zero emission and 10% of its private vehicles.
HUNGARY (HU) (33.2 million)
LIFE Integrated Project Environment (air quality - 16.0 million)
Improving air quality in Hungary (LIFE-IP HUNGAIRY)
Towns and cities in Hungary have been unable to meet limits for particulate matter (PM10) and other airborne pollutants established by the EU Air Quality Directive. To tackle this challenge, ten municipalities across eight of the country's regions will implement measures set out in regional air quality plans. The project will install automated monitoring stations, establish a network of air quality consultants and eco-managers and build capacity among decision-makers at regional and local level, for instance through training to use tools to assess the impact of local policy decisions on air quality. Information campaigns will encourage citizens to change the way they heat their homes and move from place to place. The project will give municipalities the ability to make use of €326.5 million of complementary EU funding to update residential heating systems, and develop sustainable public transport and infrastructure for cycling and electric vehicles.
LIFE Integrated Project Environment (nature conservation - 17.3 million)
Conserving grasslands for the long term (LIFE-IP GRASSLAND-HU)
Vast areas of semi-natural grasslands in Hungary have been abandoned and lost, along with their valuable habitats, flora and fauna. Their conservation status strongly depends on land management practices backed by financial mechanisms. This project will help implement the so-called 'prioritised action framework' for the EU Natura 2000 network of protected areas in Hungary, with a particular focus on the conservation of semi-natural grasslands that need active management. This will entail broad cooperation across policy sectors, involving law enforcement, landowners and land users, and civil organisations, all supported by research organisations. With the additional support of more than €72.2 million in complementary EU funding for rural and regional development, the project expects to improve the conservation status of the target habitats and species in more than 30 protected sites.
AUSTRIA (AT) (16.5 million)
LIFE Integrated Project Environment (water)
Combining river development and flood risk management (LIFE IP IRIS AUSTRIA)
Austria has established national programmes of measures to achieve the objectives of the Water Framework Directive and Floods Directive. However, the two programmes have different and sometimes contradictory aims - the existing flood control infrastructure is often a barrier to achieving the ecological targets for water bodies. Better coordination is needed at regional and river basin level. This project is piloting integrated 'river basin and risk management concepts' in seven regions, covering nearly 600 km of rivers. It will coordinate the use of € 461 million of complementary EU rural development and national flood control and river restoration funding. Results will be used to draft a national implementation strategy for these new concepts that secures the future of rivers in Austria.
PORTUGAL (PT) (19.1 million)
LIFE Integrated Project Environment (nature conservation)
Making a key contribution to conservation in the Azores (LIFE-IP AZORES NATURA)
Knowledge gaps and a lack of human and material resources have delayed the implementation of the prioritised action framework for the EU Natura 2000 network of protected areas in the Azores archipelago. This integrated project will address these issues, resulting in an improvement in the conservation status of 13 habitat types and 24 species types protected under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, including flora and fauna unique to the islands, such as the Azores bullfinch and the native laurel forests where it lives. It will also establish a seed bank for 80% of the endemic plant species of the Azores and raise local awareness of the conservation value of Natura 2000 and its potential as an instrument for sustainable rural development. The project will mobilise €22.4 million of complementary funding from EU rural, regional and maritime funds, as well as Horizon 2020, Portuguese national funds and the private sector. To ensure a wider uptake of results for problems that are of concern throughout Macaronesia, actions will also take place in La Palma, one of the Canary Islands (Spain).
SLOVENIA (SI) (44.3 million)
LIFE Integrated Project Environment (nature conservation - 17.0 million)
Boosting management of conservation areas (LIFE-IP NATURA.SI)
Slovenia has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the EU. Around 38% of the country is included in the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. An earlier LIFE project established the Natura 2000 Management Programme for Slovenia (2014-2020), but greater stakeholder buy-in is needed to meet its objectives. LIFE-IP NATURA.SI will establish a long-term and inclusive management approach in order to improve the conservation status of protected habitats and species, from owls and otters to important orchid sites. This will enhance the capacity of key nature conservation organisations and link NGOs, policymakers, landowners and research institutions, building effective partnerships. Improved monitoring, communications campaigns and a new warden service that covers at least half of Slovenia's territory will help the project meet the conservation objectives set out in the Natura 2000 management programme. This will be reinforced through €58 million of complementary funding from EU rural and regional development budgets and the National Forest Fund.
LIFE Integrated Project Climate Action (climate change mitigation - 27.3 million)
On target for 2030 with reduced greenhouse gas emissions (LIFE IP CARE4CLIMATE)
Slovenia adopted an operational plan for greenhouse gases in December 2014, which defines indicative 2030 emissions targets for all sectors. This project will tackle implementation gaps and bottlenecks in the implementation of that plan and the national action plan on energy efficiency 2014-2020. It will increase resources and competencies to enable measures to be well-prepared and implementation to be better coordinated. This will involve a focus on improving stakeholder capacity and involvement and on the modernisation of organisational procedures for the preparation of new legal instruments. There will be measurable improvements in sustainable mobility uptake, energy efficiency in buildings and carbon sequestration (capture and long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide). The project will also create a national heat map and a heating and cooling strategy to 2050. It will coordinate the use of €211.3 million of complementary funding from EU and national sources.
FINLAND (FI) (15.2 million)
LIFE Integrated Project Climate Action (climate change mitigation)
Helping cities and regions become carbon neutral (LIFE-IP CANEMURE-FINLAND)
The CANEMURE project will make a major contribution to the implementation of Finland's strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency, helping to meet EU commitments. Working with regions and cities across the country, it will focus on capacity building, infrastructure, technological solutions and patterns of behaviour. Pioneer municipalities will drive change in areas such as low-carbon mobility and decentralised renewable power generation. They will act as a catalyst for action elsewhere in Finland and the EU. The project is expected to directly achieve 60% of the required emissions reduction by 2030 in sectors outside the EU Emissions Trading System, and foster a 15% increase in public investments in low carbon clean tech solutions. In addition to its own budget, the project will be complemented by €92.2 million from EU and national funds.
MEMO/19/1190
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