LIFE is the financial instrument of the European Union that provides specific support to develop and implement the environmental policy and legislation. The acronym LIFE comes from the French L’Instrument Financier pour l’Environment. The LIFE programme started in 1992, and in January 2007 it became the LIFE+ programme which will continue until December 2013.
Protecting the environment is one of the key dimensions of sustainable development in the European Union and, therefore, a priority for Community co-financing.
The projects financed by LIFE+ should contribute to the achievement of the specific objectives of three thematic areas: Nature and Biodiversity, Environmental Policy and Governance and Information and Communication.
The main objective of LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity component is protecting, conserving, restoring and developing the functioning of natural systems, natural habitats and wild flora and fauna, with the aim of halting the loss of biodiversity in the European Union. The specific objectives of the program concern the implementation of policy and legislation on nature and biodiversity, particularly the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive, and supporting the development and implementation of the Natura 2000 network.
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