Good news from around Europe
Over 180 bears have been run over in Slovenia since 2005. For centuries, hunting and urbanisation have driven the country’s brown bears (Ursus arctos) near to extinction. Now cars and trains kill one in seven of them. In attempts to safeguard Slovenia’s drivers and wildlife alike, LIFE-funded conservationists are fencing
Recent sightings of the European storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) on a once rat-infested island demonstrate a LIFE project’s success at restoring local habitats. Since 2014, conservationists have been trying to protect some of Northwest Europe’s most threatened seabirds on the Shiant Isles Natura 2000 network site in northern Scotland. The
This issue of LIFEnews welcomes new projects joining the LIFE programme for the Environment and Climate Action. Our lead article toasts the 139 projects launched this year, offering a glimpse into their objectives and the €222 million budget that they will share. Our second article peaks into this month’s 629
The European Commission has approved an investment package of €222 million from the EU budget to support Europe’s transition to more sustainable and low-carbon future under the LIFE programme for the Environment and Climate Action. The EU funding will mobilise additional investments leading to a total of €377 million going
With the livelihood of three billion people at stake, world leaders are meeting in Malta next week to protect the seas on which jobs and food chains depend. The two-day Our Ocean conference will bring together 50 heads of state and government ministers to address the mounting strains imposed on
Three LIFE-funded projects will take the stage this year at the European Clean Air Forum in Paris, France. The event brings together policy makers from across EU institutions, national governments and cities throughout Europe. Over two days, they will discuss with NGOs, academics, private companies and the general public how
About a third of Europe’s drinking water seeps away before it even reaches the consumer. Today, utility companies battling the loss have little access to the sort of smart technology that routinely flies planes, controls energy networks or assists delicate surgery. From January 2018, LIFE funds will help explore how
An innovative LIFE project is working to protect the critically endangered northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) from illegal hunting during its annual migration this autumn. Led by the NGO Waldrappteam, the species reintroduction project LIFE Northern Bald Ibis – Reason for Hope is focusing efforts on the prevention of illegal
The European Commission has received 629 proposals for environment and climate protection projects by the LIFE programme’s deadlines in September 2017. Applicants come from all 28 EU Member States and request more than €1 billion in EU funding – four times the available budget (which is some €254 million). Powered
Agriculture and forestry have great potential to help the EU meet its ambitious climate goals. Peter Wehrheim from the European Commission’s Climate Action directorate-general calls LIFE a “field laboratory” for developing and testing new methods and knowledge. His colleague Simon Kay also emphasises the programme’s importance in this in-depth interview.