LIFE+ programme

LIFE+ is the European Union's financial instrument for the environment's protection that came into force in 2007. It co-finances actions for the environment in the member Countries and in other Mediterranean and Baltic Countries, along with central and eastern European Countries, which are candidate to be part of the EU. The "+" in the project's name refers to the previous "LIFE" 1992 programme.

The main LIFE+ objective is to contribute to the sustainable development trying to support the EU's politic on environment's realization and development, including the integration of the environment in other politics. In particular, LIFE+ supports the realization of the Sixth Environment Action Programme (6th EAP) created by the regulation n. 1600/2002/CE, that finances measures and projects with a European added value in the member Countries. The project financed by LIFE+ promote, where possible, synergies among the different priorities within the 6th EAP. Furthermore, in order to ensure European added value and to avoid the financing of recurring activities, the projects have to respect at least one of the following principles:


• Best practice projects or demonstration projects aimed to realize 147/2009/EEC (Wild birds) or 92/43/EEC (Habitat and species) directives;

• Innovating or demonstration projects regarding EU's directives on environment, including the development and diffusion of techniques, know-how or technologies aimed to the best practice;

• Awareness and specific formation campaigns for agents involved in fire;

• Projects aimed at the definition and realization of EU's objectives related to the complete long term and broad-based monitoring of forests and environmental interactions.

The LIFE+ programme includes three parts:
1. - LIFE+ Nature and biodiversity
2. - LIFE+ Environment politic and governance
3. - LIFE+ Information and communication

LIFE+ Nature and biodiversity. This specific programme includes the Conservation of the last Italian peninsular population of Tetrax tetrax project, which aims at:

a. Contributing to the realization of EU's politic and regulation on nature and biodiversity and in particular of the directives concerning wild birds, natural and semi-natural habitats, wild flora and fauna conservation. It will also contribute to the creation of the European network of protected areas "Natura 2000", which purpose is the management and the conservation in situ of flora and fauna species belonging to the most significant habitats of the EU, including coastal and marine habitats and species;

b. Contributing to consolidate the knowledge base on formulation, monitoring and assessment of EU's politic and regulation on nature and biodiversity;

c. Supporting the definition and realization of techniques and instruments for the monitoring and the assessment of biodiversity and of elements, pressures and answers that have an influence on it, especially related to the realization of the objectives such as trying to stop the loss of biodiversity in the EU, considering also the threat represented by climate change;

d. Supporting an improvement in environment management, promoting a greater participation of interested subjects to the process of consultation and to the realization of EU's politic on nature and biodiversity, including non-governmental organizations.