European Commissioner Jessika Roswall visits LIFE nature project in Italy

The project, located about an hour north of Rome, aims to restore and enhance Mediterranean coastal habitats, a key component of the EU’s broader efforts to conserve biodiversity and combat environmental degradation. The restoration works focus on revitalizing critical ecosystems that provide essential services to both the natural environment and the communities living nearby.

In her address, Commissioner Roswall emphasized that her visit was not only about discussing water-related challenges but also about addressing biodiversity concerns that are central to the EU’s environmental agenda. She was particularly interested in the project’s innovative hydrological systems.

The project team led the Commissioner and other attendees on a tour of the forest, where they observed firsthand the work being carried out to restore vital coastal habitats.

Discussions during the visit centered around the broader impact of the LIFE Programme, which goes beyond site-specific restoration efforts. The programme’s bottom-up approach ensures that local communities benefit from these initiatives, both economically and environmentally. It also directly contributes to the EU’s policies on biodiversity conservation, with a particular focus on supporting the Natura 2000 network, a cornerstone of the EU’s efforts to protect its most valuable and threatened species and habitats.