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European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency
News article7 July 2022European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency

Commission opens negotiations with seven non-EU countries to join LIFE programme

Today, the Commission is launching negotiations on the association to the LIFE programme for environment and climate with seven non-EU countries: Albania, Andorra, Faroe Islands, Israel, Moldova, North Macedonia and Turkey

Negotiations opened with seven non-EU countries to join LIFE programme

Today, the Commission is launching negotiations on the association to the LIFE programme for environment and climate with seven non-EU countries: Albania, Andorra, Faroe Islands, Israel, Moldova, North Macedonia and Turkey. Joining LIFE will help these countries spread innovative environment and climate techniques, approaches and best practices that contribute to a climate-neutral, circular and resilient economy, and which protect and restore nature.

Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “Environment and climate challenges have no borders. We can only tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution by acting together. By increasing substantially the number of countries participating in the LIFE programme, we put in action concrete cooperation and exchange of solutions beyond the EU for a healthy planet.”

Today's step illustrates EU's global ambition of leading by example for the good of the environment and climate, and in preparation ahead of key international meetings later this year – the milestone COP15 on biodiversity and COP27 on climate. Thanks to LIFE, public and private organisations of these countries will be able to receive financial support for projects to: develop and demonstrate eco-innovative techniques and approaches; promote best practices and behavioural changes; support the development, implementation and monitoring of environmental laws; and catalyse the large-scale deployment of successful solutions. Applicants of these third countries can already submit proposals under the 2022 LIFE calls for proposals. In order for a project to receive funding, the country concerned will have to ratify the association agreement. Iceland joined the LIFE programme in September 2021, and last week, Ukraine signed an agreement to access the programme.

More information is in the news item."

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