Regional Director for the Environment defends positive discrimination for Outermost Regions under LIFE programme
The Regional Director for Environment defended in Brussels that the new rules of the European Union's financial tool for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE Programme) should give priority to projects promoted by Outermost Regions.
Hernâni Jorge spoke during a workshop organised by the European Commission to reflect on the future of the LIFE programme, specifically on the preparation of this financial tool for the 2021-2027 programming period.
For the Regional Director, Outermost Regions have features and resources that make them privileged places for nature conservation and biodiversity. They also have excellent spaces for research and innovation in the fields of climate change, renewable energy and the circular economy, thereby expressing their specific status granted under the Treaty on European Union.
At this meeting, Hernâni Jorge also defended the increase of EU co-financing rates for LIFE projects, the flexibility of the eligibility criteria and the adoption of mechanisms to simplify procedures with the aim of increasing the attractiveness of this programme. This will be a key tool for the implementation and development of European policies and strategies in critical areas of environment and climate.
The LIFE programme will now be structured into four sub-programmes: "Nature and Biodiversity," "Circular Economy and Quality of Life," "Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation" and "Clean Energy Transition."
The Regional Directorate for the Environment is currently coordinating the implementation of three LIFE nature conservation projects, namely LIFE IP AZORES NATURA, LIFE VIDALIA and LIFE BEETLES. It has also approved the summary memorandum on an integrated project in the field of climate action, LIFE IP CLIMAZ, whose final proposal should be submitted to the European Commission by March 2020.