What is LIFE?

LIFE (L'Instrument Financier pour l'Environment) is the EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the EU, as well as in some candidate, acceding and neighbouring countries. Since 1992, LIFE has co-financed some 2,750 projects, contributing approximately €1.35 billion to the protection of the environment.

LIFE provides financing in three fields: LIFE-Nature, LIFE-Environment and LIFE-Third Countries. The LIFE-Nature project on the Steppe Oak Woods of Nagykőrös nature conservation site started in 2006 and will be finished in 2011.

The specific objective of LIFE-Nature was to contribute to the implementation of Community nature protection policy. In particular, LIFE-Nature supported the establishment of the Natura 2000 network for the in situ management and conservation of Europe's most remarkable fauna and flora species and habitats.

From 2007 started the LIFE+ programme, which comprises three components: LIFE+ Nature & Biodiversity, LIFE+ Environment Policy & Governance, LIFE+ Information & Communication.

The European web site of the LIFE programme:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/home.htm