30 years of LIFE: The Green Fund celebrates the European programmeme that has been instrumental in protecting the environment
This year marks thirty years since the establishment of the European LIFE programme, the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate. Launched in 1992, the same year that the Habitats Directive was issued, the programme has so far co-funded conservation actions in more than 6,000 Natura 2000 sites.
The programme’s contribution to the protection of Europe’s natural heritage is impressive: LIFE has supported conservation actions for about 750 species and 5,400 habitats via 1,800 projects with a total budget of €3 billion of EU co-funding.
The Green Fund, an agency supervised by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MEEN) and home of the National Contact Point for the LIFE/Environment European Funding Programme, is organising a “30 Years of the LIFE European Funding Programme for Environment and Climate Action Celebration Event” on Thursday 26 May 2022 at 11.00 at Villa Kazoulis (241 Kifissias Avenue, Athens).
The event is held in the context of a review of Greece’s participation in the LIFE Programme from 1992 to date, as well as the presentation of good practices and results of selected LIFE projects and consists of four sessions.
The first session will focus on Greece’s overall participation in the LIFE Programme and the role of the Green Fund and MEEN’s participation in LIFE projects, as well as on the main points of the new LIFE Call for 2022.
Presentations will be made by the Deputy Minister of the Environment and Energy and the Secretary General of the Natural Environment & Water, the President of the Green Fund and the National Contact Points of the LIFE Programme for the Environment, the Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change and the Transition to Clean Energy.
The next three sections are thematic and present the three LIFE Integrated Projects, as well as nine Traditional Nature/Biodiversity, Environment and Climate Change projects in total. Each theme consists of four projects, and their representatives will present good practices and results.
Participation is free of charge. However, pre-registration is required for securing participation by interested parties at the following link: https://bit.ly/3yjoWub. Participation requests will be managed strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.
Participants need also to be aware that the use of a mask is mandatory when entering, staying and leaving the Villa Kazoulis building.
The detailed event agenda is available here. For more information please visit www.prasinotameio.gr.