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Programme for the Environment and Climate
Action (LIFE)
Call for proposals
Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT
Version 1.0
06 July 2021Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
HISTORY OF CHANGES
Publication
Version Change Page
Date
1.0 06.07.2021 Initial version (new MFF).
2Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
EUROPEAN CLIMATE, INFRASTRUCTURE AND
ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE AGENCY (CINEA)
CINEA.D – Natural Resources, Climate, Sustainable Blue Economy and Clean Energy
Unit D2 - LIFE Environment (Nature & Circular Economy)
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 5
1. Background ............................................................................................................................... 6
What is the LIFE Programme? .................................................................................................... 6
Nature and Biodiversity ............................................................................................................. 7
Circular Economy and Quality of Life ........................................................................................... 7
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation ................................................................................... 8
Clean Energy Transition ............................................................................................................. 8
2. Type of action — Objectives — Themes and priorities — Activities that can be funded —
Expected impact ................................................................................................................... 9
Type of action .......................................................................................................................... 9
LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT-NATURE — Nature and Biodiversity ...............................................................10
Objectives ..............................................................................................................................10
Scope — Activities that can be funded ........................................................................................11
Expected impact ......................................................................................................................14
Funding rate ...........................................................................................................................15
Additional conditions ................................................................................................................15
LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT-GOV — Nature Governance ..........................................................................22
Objectives ..............................................................................................................................22
Scope — Activities that can be funded ........................................................................................22
Expected impact ......................................................................................................................23
Funding rate ...........................................................................................................................23
Additional conditions ................................................................................................................23
3. Available budget .......................................................................................................................23
4. Timetable and deadlines ............................................................................................................24
5. Admissibility and documents ......................................................................................................24
6. Eligibility ..................................................................................................................................25
Eligible participants (eligible countries) .......................................................................................25
3Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
Consortium composition ...........................................................................................................26
Eligible activities ......................................................................................................................27
Geographic location (target countries) ........................................................................................27
7. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion ...........................................................................27
Financial capacity ....................................................................................................................27
Operational capacity ................................................................................................................28
Exclusion ................................................................................................................................28
8. Evaluation and award procedure .................................................................................................29
9. Award criteria ...........................................................................................................................30
10. Legal and financial set-up of the Grant Agreements ....................................................................32
Starting date and project duration .............................................................................................32
Milestones and deliverables .......................................................................................................32
Form of grant, funding rate and maximum grant amount ..............................................................33
Budget categories and cost eligibility rules ..................................................................................34
Reporting and payment arrangements ........................................................................................35
Prefinancing guarantees ...........................................................................................................36
Certificates .............................................................................................................................36
Liability regime for recoveries ...................................................................................................36
Provisions concerning the project implementation ........................................................................37
Other specificities ....................................................................................................................37
Non-compliance and breach of contract ......................................................................................37
11. How to submit an application ....................................................................................................37
12. Help ......................................................................................................................................38
13. Important ..............................................................................................................................40
4Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
0. Introduction
This is a call for proposals for EU action grants in the field of Nature and Biodiversity
under the Programme for Environment and Climate Action (LIFE).
The regulatory framework for this EU Funding Programme is set out in:
Regulation 2018/1046 (EU Financial Regulation)
the basic act (LIFE Regulation 2021/7831).
The call is launched in accordance with the 2021-2024 Multiannual Work Programme2
and will be managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment
Executive Agency (CINEA) (‘Agency’).
The call covers the following topics:
LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT-NATURE — Nature and Biodiversity
LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT-GOV — Nature Governance
Each project application under the call must address only one of these topics.
Applicants wishing to apply for more than one topic, must submit a separate proposal
under each topic.
We invite you to read the call documentation carefully, and in particular this Call
Document, the Model Grant Agreement, the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Online
Manual and the EU Grants AGA — Annotated Grant Agreement.
These documents provide clarifications and answers to questions you may have when
preparing your application:
the Call Document outlines the:
background, objectives, scope, activities that can be funded and the
expected results (sections 1 and 2)
timetable and available budget (sections 3 and 4)
admissibility and eligibility conditions (including mandatory documents;
sections 5 and 6)
criteria for financial and operational capacity and exclusion (section 7)
evaluation and award procedure (section 8)
award criteria (section 9)
legal and financial set-up of the Grant Agreements (section 10)
how to submit an application (section 11)
the Online Manual outlines the:
1
Regulation (EU) 2021/783 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing
a Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) (OJ L 172, 17.5.2021, p. 53).
2
Commission Implementing Decision C(2021)4997 final of 9 July 2021 on the financing of the LIFE
Programme and the adoption of the work programme for the years 2021 to 2024.
5Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
procedures to register and submit proposals online via the EU Funding
& Tenders Portal (‘Portal’)
recommendations for the preparation of the application
the AGA — Annotated Grant Agreement contains:
detailed annotations on all the provisions in the Grant Agreement you
will have to sign in order to obtain the grant (including cost eligibility,
payment schedule, accessory obligations, etc).
You are also encouraged to visit the LIFE database to consult the list of projects
funded previously. For the Clean Energy Transition sub-programme, projects funded
previously (under the Horizon 2020 programme) can be found on the CORDIS
website.
1. Background
What is the LIFE Programme?
The LIFE Programme is the EU Programme for Environment and Climate Action.
As such, it is one of the key contributors to the European Green Deal3 which aims to:
transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-
efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of
greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from
resource use and
protect, conserve and enhance the EU's natural capital, and protect the health
and well-being of citizens from environment and climate related risks and
impacts.
The LIFE Programme will contribute to these priorities through its four sub-
programmes in particular by:
boosting and integrating the implementation of the EU’s policy objectives for
halting and reversing loss of wildlife habitats and species across all sectors
supporting the transition to a circular economy and protecting and improving
the quality of EU’s natural resources, including air, soil and water among
others
supporting implementation of the 2030 energy and climate policy framework,
the EU’s climate neutrality objective by 2050, and the new EU strategy on
adaptation to climate change and
building capacity, stimulating investments and supporting implementation of
policies focused on energy efficiency and small-scale renewables.
The LIFE Programme is structured in two fields and four sub-programmes (described
in more detail below):
Environment:
- sub-programme Nature and Biodiversity
- sub-programme Circular Economy and Quality of Life
3 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council,
the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: The European Green
Deal (COM (2019)640 final).
6Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
Climate Action:
- sub-programme Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
- sub-programme Clean Energy Transition.
Nature and Biodiversity
The specific objectives of the sub-programme ‘Nature and Biodiversity’ are the
following:
to develop, demonstrate, promote and stimulate scale up of innovative
techniques, methods and approaches (including nature-based solutions and
ecosystem approach) for reaching the objectives of the EU legislation and
policy on nature and biodiversity, and to contribute to the knowledge base and
to the application of best practices, including through the support of the
Natura 2000
to support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of
EU legislation and policy on nature and biodiversity, including by improving
governance at all levels, in particular through enhancing capacities of public
and private actors and the involvement of civil society, also taking into due
consideration the possible contributions provided by citizen science
to catalyse the large-scale deployment of successful solutions/approaches for
implementing EU legislation and policy on nature and biodiversity, by
replicating results, integrating related objectives into other policies and into
public and private sector practices, mobilising investment and improving
access to finance.
Circular Economy and Quality of Life
The specific objectives of the sub-programme ‘Circular Economy and Quality of Life’
are:
- to develop, demonstrate and promote innovative techniques, methods and
approaches for reaching the objectives of the EU legislation and policy on
environment, and to contribute to the knowledge base and, where relevant, to
the application of best practices
- to support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of
the EU legislation and policy on environment, including by improving
governance at all levels, in particular through enhancing capacities of public
and private actors and the involvement of civil society
- to catalyse the large-scale deployment of successful technical and policy-
related solutions for implementing the EU legislation and policy on
environment, by replicating results, integrating related objectives into other
policies and into public and private sector practices, mobilising investment and
improving access to finance.
This sub-programme aims at facilitating the transition toward a sustainable, circular,
toxic-free, energy-efficient and climate-resilient economy and at protecting, restoring
and improving the quality of the environment.
It will contribute to the EU priorities by:
- reducing resource consumption and facilitating the transition toward a
sustainable, circular, toxic-free, energy-efficient and climate-resilient economy
- developing circular systems, in line with the new Circular Economy Action Plan
and reflecting its focus on sustainable products, material and energy intensive
sectors and circular business models for value retention
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EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
- bringing down waste generation in line with the Waste Framework Directive
2019/10044 and the reduction of hazardous waste in view of the EU’s
commitment under the Basel Convention5.
- improving waste management with respect to collection and storage of waste,
recovery options and end-of-life disposal, including in islands where waste
management has to face specific challenges
- reducing emissions of pollutants to air and ensuring clean air for EU citizens in
line with the EU legislation and the objectives of the Zero Pollution Action Plan
- achieving and maintaining a good status of the EU water bodies
- ensuring clean surface water and ground-water, in sufficient quantities for
human and other species, including by increasing efficiency of water use
- reducing production, use and emissions of hazardous chemicals as well as
reducing the exposure of humans and the environment to those chemicals
- promoting the development, commercialisation and uptake of safe and
sustainable-by-design substances, materials and products
- diminishing exposure to harmful noise levels
- protecting the quality of EU soil, preventing soil degradation through
sustainable practices of soil and land management, remediating from soil
pollution and enhancing the capacity to improve water quality through reduced
nitrate leakage and to reduce emissions through carbon storage.
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
The specific objectives of the sub-programme ‘Climate Change Mitigation and
Adaptation’ are:
- to develop, demonstrate and promote innovative techniques, methods and
approaches for reaching the objectives of the EU legislation and policy on
climate action and to contribute to the knowledge base and to the application
of best practice
- to support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of
the EU legislation and policy on climate action, including by improving
governance at all levels, in particular through enhancing capacities of public
and private actors and the involvement of civil society
- to catalyse the large-scale deployment of successful technical and policy-
related solutions for implementing the EU legislation and policy on climate
action by replicating results, integrating related objectives into other policies
and into public and private sector practices, mobilising investment and
improving access to finance.
This sub-programme will contribute to the transformation of the EU into a climate-
neutral and -resilient society, by supporting the implementation of the EU's climate
policy and preparing the EU for the climate action challenges in the coming years and
decades.
Clean Energy Transition
4
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1004 of 7 June 2019 laying down rules for the
calculation, verification and reporting of data on waste in accordance with Directive 2008/98/EC (OJ L
163, 20.6.2019, p. 66).
5
Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal
8Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
The specific objectives of the sub-programme ‘Clean Energy Transition’ are the
following:
to develop, demonstrate and promote innovative techniques, methods and
approaches for reaching the objectives of the EU legislation and policy on the
transition to sustainable renewable energy and increased energy efficiency,
and to contribute to the knowledge base and to the application of best practice
to support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of
the EU legislation and policy on the transition to sustainable renewable energy
or increased energy efficiency, including by improving governance at all levels,
in particular through enhancing capacities of public and private actors and the
involvement of civil society
to catalyse the large-scale deployment of successful technical and policy-
related solutions for implementing the EU legislation on the transition to
renewable energy or increased energy efficiency by replicating results,
integrating related objectives into other policies and into public and private
sector practices, mobilising investment and improving access to finance.
This sub-programme aims at facilitating the transition toward an energy-efficient,
renewable energy-based, climate-neutral and -resilient economy by funding
coordination and support actions across Europe. These actions, of high EU added-
value, aim at breaking market barriers that hamper the socio-economic transition to
sustainable energy, typically engaging multiple small and medium-size stakeholders,
multiple actors including local and regional public authorities and non-profit
organisations, and involving consumers.
The sub-programme will contribute to the implementation of the energy-related
actions of the Green Deal, including the ‘Renovation wave’ initiative for the building
sector, and will give due consideration to territories not connected to the European
grids such as the EU outermost regions. It will contribute to the Just Transition
objectives by accompanying the territories and the groups of citizens negatively
affected by the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, by building capacity of
actors and fostering clean energy investments, mainly in energy efficiency and locally
available, sustainable, renewable energy sources. Activities related to biofuels will not
be included.
2. Type of action — Objectives — Themes and priorities — Activities that can
be funded — Expected impact
Type of action
The topics under this call for proposals concern LIFE Standard Action Projects (SAPs).
SAPs represent the ‘traditional LIFE projects’ aimed to:
develop, demonstrate and promote innovative techniques, methods and
approaches
‘Innovative techniques, methods and approaches’ means solutions which are
new when compared to the state of the art at Member State and sector level
and which are implemented at an operational scale and under conditions that
allow the achievement of the impacts set out in the award criterion ’Impact’
first paragraph (see below).
contribute to the knowledge base and to the application of best practice
‘Best practice’ means solutions, techniques, methods and approaches which
are appropriate, cost-effective and state of the art (at Member State and
9Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
sector level), and which are implemented at an operational scale and under
conditions that allow the achievement of the impacts set out in the award
criterion ’Impact’ first paragraph (see below).
support the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of the
EU legislation and policy, including by improving governance at all levels, in
particular through enhancing capacities of public and private actors and the
involvement of civil society
catalyse the large-scale deployment of successful technical and policy related
solutions for implementing the EU legislation and policy by replicating results,
integrating related objectives into other policies and into public and private
sector practices, mobilising investment and improving access to finance.
SAPs are a flexible tool available to entities from all sectors (public, non-governmental
and private).
They can be close-to-market (i.e. aim not only at delivering improved environmental
solutions, but also at making sure such solutions are widely taken up by society in
general and, more particularly, by the economy through an explicit market-oriented
approach). In this case, applicants will be required to highlight specific market-related
information in their Application Forms (e.g. planned production capacity, reference
market, economic feasibility etc.).
Applications for SAPs are typically expected under the sub-programme ‘Circular
Economy and Quality of Life’, ‘Nature and Biodiversity’, ‘Climate Change Mitigation
and Adaptation’ and ‘Clean Energy Transition’.
LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT-NATURE — Nature and Biodiversity
Objectives
Projects should fall under at least one of the two areas of intervention:
Intervention area: “Space for Nature”
Any project aimed at improving the condition of species or habitats through area-
based conservation or restoration measures falls within the eligible scope of the
intervention area “Space for Nature”. This may include, for example, projects for
restoring or improving natural or semi-natural habitats, or habitats of species,
both within and outside existing protected areas. This may also include projects
for creating additional protected areas (or improving the biodiversity focus and
contribution of existing protected areas), ecological corridors or other green
infrastructure, projects testing or demonstrating new site management
approaches, projects acting on pressures, etc.
Intervention area: “Safeguarding our species”
Any project aimed at improving the condition of species (or, in the case of
invasive alien species, reducing their impact) through any relevant activities other
than area-based conservation or restoration measures falls within the scope of the
intervention area “Safeguarding our species”. Considering the broad range of
threats that may act on species in addition to the degradation of their habitats,
such projects may apply to a wide range of relevant measures, spanning from
hard infrastructural works to awareness raising of stakeholders.
10Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
Applicants are should take into account, when conceiving their project applications,
that only wild flora and fauna and natural and semi-natural habitats may be targeted
by LIFE Nature and Biodiversity projects.
Scope — Activities that can be funded
Under both areas of intervention, having clearly defined specific outcome-based
biodiversity-related objectives for projects and their activities is a pre-condition for an
objective prioritization of the proposals.
In order to allow for effective comparison of merits of proposals addressing different
nature and biodiversity policy priorities the following principles will be applied for the
prioritisation in terms of outcome-based targets under the two areas of intervention:
For proposals targeting species and habitats covered by the EU Habitats
Directive, priority is given to those that are clearly targeting habitats or
species in unfavourable and declining conservation status based on the latest
Article 17 reports assessments (https://nature-
art17.eionet.europa.eu/article17/), in particular when their status is
unfavourable bad and declining (U2-) both in the EU and at national
biogeographical region(s) level, where the project is taking place6.
For bird species, and for species and habitats not covered by EU Nature
legislation, priority is given to proposals clearly targeting species or habitats
that are in higher extinction risk categories (in particular: endangered or
worse) in the relevant EU red lists of habitats or species (or, for EU Outermost
Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories, in the Global IUCN red lists).
Further prioritisation of the proposals will be based on the policy priorities below:
EU Birds and Habitats Directives
Proposals for improving the conservation status or trends of species and habitats of
EU importance, notably where such projects are implementing objectives and
measures as outlined in national or regional Prioritized Action Frameworks (PAFs). In
particular:
In relation to the intervention area “Space for Nature”, priority is given to
projects that focus their activities on the implementation of conservation
objectives for existing Natura 2000 sites, notably where such
conservation objectives are clearly established, improving the condition
of species and habitats for which the sites are designated.
In relation to the intervention area “Protecting our species”, priority is
given to projects that focus their activities on reducing the mortality of
these species (e.g. poisoning, illegal killing, by-catch), preventing
stakeholder conflicts, improving acceptance and promoting co-existence
with protected species.
Habitats and Species in Unfavourable conservation status
6
By way of exception from the above rule, considering the recent EU accession of
Croatia and the high number of unknown status and/or trend assessments in the
first Croatian national report under Article 17 (2019), only the EU biogeographical
region level assessments will be considered for the prioritization of projects
targeting relevant habitats and species in that Member States.
11Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
Priority will be given to certain habitats and species in unfavourable conservation
status (including certain species listed in annex IV and V of the Habitats Directive),
under the Biodiversity Strategy-related policy priority for “Implementing EU nature
restoration targets for species and habitats”.
Invasive Alien Species Regulation
Priority will be given to:
invasive alien species included on the list of invasive alien species of
Union concern pursuant to Article 4(1) of the Regulation (EU) No
1143/2014, and/or invasive alien species of Member State or regional
concern pursuant to Articles 12 and 11 of the Regulation respectively; or
other invasive alien species that negatively affect the conservation status
or trends of species and habitats of EU importance, other species
protected under EU legislation, or listed as threatened species in EU or
global red lists (the latter for species groups and/or regions not covered
by EU red lists).
EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
Establishing a coherent network of protected areas
Priority will be given to:
Proposals focused on increasing the share of EU land or marine area
under protection (within the definition of “protected areas” in the
relevant EU Guidance under the Biodiversity Strategy). This may in
particular be achieved through additional designations or
enlargements of Natura 2000 site or nationally protected areas, or
improving the biodiversity focus of existing protected areas. In
addition, this may also consider alternative approaches that, while
fulfilling the criteria agreed between the Commission and Member
States, such as “Private land conservation” approaches, “Other
effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs), etc., will
secure the sustainability of area-based activities through an
appropriate long-term protection status or guarantee, to be achieved
by the end of the project at the latest. In this context, priority is also
given to the set-up of ecological corridors, such as green and blue
infrastructure that reduce land or seascape fragmentation and
pressures/threats, and that directly contribute to the resilience,
effective management, and connectivity of protected areas.
Proposals focused on increasing the share of EU land or marine area
under strict protection (within the definition of “strictly protected
areas” in the relevant EU Guidance under the Biodiversity Strategy).
This may in particular be achieved through improving the level of
protection of existing protected areas or through additional
designations or enlargements of Natura 2000 site or nationally
protected areas, including strict protection of remaining EU primary
and old-growth forests, but may also consider alternative approaches
that ensure equivalent sustainability, such as “Private land
conservation” approaches, OECMs, etc. (provided this is in line with
the criteria for strictly protected areas as agreed between the
Commission and Member States).
12Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
EU Grants: Call document (LIFE): V1.0 – 06.07.2021
Implementing EU nature restoration targets for species and habitats
Once Member States have submitted their commitments or pledges in
relation to this target, projects that are focused on implementing any such
national commitments or pledges, including through trans-national or trans-
boundary approaches are given priority for LIFE support.
Restoring degraded and carbon-rich ecosystems; prevent and reduce the
impact of natural disasters
Proposals with a focus on restoring degraded and/or carbon-rich
ecosystems are given priority for LIFE support. For forests, this
includes proposals aimed at forest restoration to primary forest
structure, composition and functioning.
Proposals with a focus on deploying Green and Blue Infrastructure in
line with the EU guidance7 as well as other nature-based solutions
and restoration actions that would help prevent or reduce the impact
of natural disasters, including river restoration projects, are given
priority for LIFE support.
Improving the health and resilience of managed forests
Proposals for demonstrating “closer to nature forestry” practices, meaning
practices that try to achieve management objectives with minimum necessary
human intervention and combine conservation with productivity objectives, are
given priority for LIFE support; these are also defined as continuous cover
forestry, reduced impact logging, retention forestry, mimicking natural
disturbances. EU guidelines developed pursuant to the Biodiversity Strategy
for 2030, once available, will be the reference for closer-to-nature forestry.
Reversing the decline of pollinators
Project proposals for the restoration of habitats where pollination by animals
plays an important role, need to outline how the improvement of their
associated pollinator communities is taken into account by the project
activities.
Furthermore, even where proposals do not directly address pollinators,
applicants are invited to measure the project’s success against, among others,
the improvement of pollinator communities. Indicators for improvement could
be based, for example, on measuring changes in the diversity or abundance of
Apoidea, Syrphidae, Lepidoptera or any other relevant taxonomic groups.
Proposals that have a positive impact on pollinator communities 8 based on at
least one of the above requirements are given priority for LIFE support.
Bringing nature back to agricultural land
Proposals that demonstrate innovative approaches to restoring high-
biodiversity landscape features in agroecosystems that also bring benefits for
farmers and communities (such as preventing soil erosion and depletion,
filtering air and water, and supporting climate adaptation) and communicate
such approaches, are given priority for LIFE support.
7
See: EU Guidance document on a strategic framework for further supporting the
deployment of EU-level green and blue infrastructure SWD(2019) 193 final
8
The focus is exclusively on wild pollinator species. Activities addressing
domesticated species are not eligible.
13Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-NAT — Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action Projects (SAP)
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Greening urban and peri-urban areas
Proposals for the restoration of healthy and biodiverse ecosystems in urban
green areas, as well as for the development of green infrastructure and
nature-based solutions that bring about significant benefits for biodiversity
while providing solutions to urban challenges and increasing access to nature,
are given priority for LIFE support, especially if they implement biodiversity
objectives and measures in urban greening plans.
Measuring and integrating the value of nature
Proposals that lead to an effective accounting, measurement and integration of
biodiversity values into public and private decision-making applying the
guidance, methods, criteria and standards developed by the Commission are
given priority for LIFE support.
The following matrix summarises the scoping and prioritization under the Nature and
Biodiversity topic:
EU policy priorities for Nature and
Biodiversity
Priority 1: The extent Priority 2: The extent
to which the proposal to which the proposal
contributes to the contributes to the
objectives of EU Nature targets of the EU
and Biodiversity Biodiversity Strategy
legislation in particular for 2030 for a Trans-
under the EU Birds and European Nature
Habitats Directive (incl. Network and the EU
Natura 2000) and the Restoration Plan
Regulation 1143/2014
on Invasive Alien
Species
1: "Space for
Two areas of nature": area-
intervention that based conservation
and restoration Highest priority will be given to proposals that
require specific
measures fall into at least one of the two areas of
and measurable
intervention and at least one of the two policy
(SMART) 2: "Safeguarding priorities.
outcome based our species":
objectives measures targeting
specific species
Expected impact
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Applicants are expected to define, calculate, explain and achieve the expected
impacts as described in the Award criterion ‘Impacts’ (see section 9) in terms of
conservation benefit.
All LIFE projects will have to report on their expected outputs and impacts taking into
account the LIFE Key Performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs will contribute to
evaluating the impact of the LIFE project on an environmental but also socio-
economic level (e.g. via actions impacting the local economy and population). All the
indicators measured should be coherent with the conservation or biodiversity problem
addressed and the type of activities planned. Projects dealing with Green
Infrastructures are requested to report their impact on ecosystem conditions and
ecosystem services.
Please review the indicators in Part C of the eGrant application and complete them
with the estimated impact of the project. More detailed information will be requested
during the project time.
Funding rate
Maximum 60% funding rate (or higher for certain types of projects (see section 10)
Additional conditions
Sustainability
When designing their project, applicants need to take into account an obligation to
maintain ecological effect of the project activities for at least 30 years after the
project end.
Applicants need to ensure that any LIFE-related investments into the management or
restoration of natural or semi-natural habitats will lead to improvements that can be
sustained in the long term. This often requires that such actions are taking place on
areas that do already benefit from legal protection (as Natura 2000 sites or nationally
protected areas), or that an adequate level of legal protection can be given to such
areas during the lifetime of the project.
Where the actions involve land acquisition and habitat restoration, the area in
question should receive the most appropriate legal protection (nationally protected
area, Natura 2000 etc.) with the view to contribute to the establishment of the Trans
European Nature Network (TEN-N). For other investments that involve reducing
pressures and threats (e.g. blocking of ditches or reducing nitrogen run off from
agricultural land) on land which does not in itself have high natural value to justify
designation, but acts as a buffer zone around Natura 2000 sites and/or protected
areas, a long term contractual agreement (at least 30 years) to ensure that the
pressures and threats are irreversibly alleviated is required.
When this is not possible, the applicant should provide evidence that the investment
made is backed by an appropriate land use planning at the most relevant
administrative level. Private land conservation initiatives can also be supported in this
context.
Activities inside Natura 2000
Actions targeting bird species listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive or occurring
migratory species should take place within the respective SPAs, actions targeting
habitats or species of the Habitat Directives should take place within the respective
pSCIs/SCIs/SACs .
Activities can only target species and habitats listed in the site's official Natura 2000
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Standard Data Form (SDF). Applicants are advised to check this carefully. These SDFs
can be viewed at the EU Natura 2000 Public Viewer -
http://natura2000.eea.europa.eu/ (note: this public database is updated generally
with a couple of months delay from the time the Commission receives the data from
the Member States, therefore the applicant should also check the national public SDF
database). Where the species/habitats are in fact present in the site but are not in the
SDF published in the EU Natura 2000 Public Viewer, activities targeting these
species/habitats can only be accepted if the proposal contains a letter of commitment
from the competent authority to update the data sheet before the end of the project
or, if this update has already been sent to the Commission, a declaration from the
competent authority should be provided.
For each Natura 2000 site targeted, the applicant should provide in Annex to Part B a
general description and a map of the site, indicating where each action is planned to
take place (see downloadable relevant annex templates).
Applicants are advised to check that the perimeters on their maps correspond to
those on the EU Natura 2000 Public viewer (http://natura2000.eea.europa.eu).
Activities outside Natura 2000
Projects that specifically support the objectives of the Birds and Habitats Directives or
targeting habitat types or species (other than bird species) for which the EU-level
threat status has been assessed as “endangered” or worse in the most up-to-date
published version of a European species or habitats Red Lists. Actions outside Natura
2000 are allowed in the following cases:
For the improvement of the ecological coherence/connectivity of the Natura 2000
network to build a coherent Trans-European Nature Network. In this case each of
the following conditions should be met:
(i) Evidence is provided that the investments foreseen contribute to an
"improvement of the ecological coherence of the Natura 2000 network" in
terms of preventing genetic isolation, allowing for species migration, and
maintaining and enhancing healthy ecosystems;
(ii) The national Natura 2000 network of sites is considered as sufficient for the
species/habitats targeted by the project.
(iii) A guarantee is provided for the long-term continuation of these investments,
in the form of a commitment for giving these sites the most appropriate legal
or contractual protection (at least 30 years) status before the end of the
project. Where the actions involve land acquisition and habitat restoration, the
area in question should receive the most appropriate legal protection
(nationally protected area, Natura 2000 etc.) with the view to contribute to the
establishment of the Trans European Nature Network. In the proposal the
applicant must provide detailed information on the proposed protection status
and explain why it is considered as being sufficient for securing the long-term
sustainability of the investments. For other investments that involve reducing
pressures and threats (e.g. blocking of ditches or reducing nitrogen run off
from agricultural land) on land which does not in itself have high natural value
to justify designation but acts as a buffer zone around Natura 2000 sites
and/or protected areas, a long term contractual agreement (at least 30 years)
to ensure that the pressures and threats are irreversibly alleviated is required.
For the improvement of the conservation status of species listed in Annex IV, but
not in Annex II of the Habitats Directive or any habitat type or species (other than
bird species) the EU-level threat status of which has been assessed as
“endangered” or worse in the most up-to-date published version of a European
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species or habitats Red Lists.
Exceptionally, and for demonstration purposes only, projects may include actions
for improving the habitats of species listed in Annex II and Annex III of the Birds
Directive. However, a guarantee must be provided for the sustainability of any
such investments (at least 30 years), in the form of commitment for a long term
agreement with the land owner/land manager or for giving these sites the most
appropriate legal protection status before the end of the project. When submitting
the proposal, the applicant must provide detailed information on the identified
mechanism to ensure the long-term sustainability of the investment and explain
why it is considered as being sufficient. Land purchase is not possible in this
context. For such projects, a plan for dissemination, replication and scaling up of
the results should also be provided.
When for some reasons legal protection/contractual agreements of at least 30 years
is not possible for any of the above cases, the applicant should provide a thorough
justification and clear evidence that the investment to be made is backed by an
appropriate land use planning at the most relevant administrative level. Private land
conservation initiatives can also be supported in this context.
Species re-introduction and other conservation introductions/translocations
within natural range
Activities to reintroduce or introduce/translocate species within their natural range
can only be considered eligible for funding, when the project proposals meet all
conditions listed below. The applicant must address each of these conditions in his
proposal, explaining how each condition is met.
(i) the actions are justified, expected to yield quantitative conservation benefits
based on a cost/benefit analysis, and have a high chance of success based on
a thorough risk and feasibility analysis;
(ii) the reintroduced or introduced/translocated organisms are likely to be able to
cope with new pathogen and stresses encountered at the destination site and
the risk of reintroducing new pathogens in the destination area are minimised;
(iii) alternatives to reintroduction or introduction/translocation have been assessed
as less effective or infeasible as a means to reach the specific and clearly
defined conservation objectives of the reintroduction or
introduction/translocation;
(iv) the actions target areas where the causes of extinction of the species have
been eliminated;
(v) the removal of individuals from their present habitat for re-introduction or
introduction/translocation is only considered if it does not endanger the captive
or wild source populations;
(vi) the actions target areas whose habitats and climate meet, in the foreseeable
future, the conditions necessary for the survival of a viable population of the
species;
(vii) a prior agreement between all parties involved (e.g. between the competent
authority for the donor population and the manager of the area of
reintroduction or introduction/translocation) has been concluded and
documented;
(viii) the actions target only areas where the attitude of the local population
towards the planned reintroduction or introduction/translocation is favourable
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or where there is a reasonable expectation that local acceptance can be
achieved during the project;
(ix) either
organisms are only reintroduced in areas where they previously occurred
or
organisms are deliberately introduced/translocated outside their indigenous
ranges in order to
o prevent the extinction of populations of the focal species where protection
from current or likely future threats in its current range is deemed less
feasible than at alternative sites or
o re-establish an ecological function lost through extinction through
introduction/translocation of organisms which are a close relative of the
extinct species, within the same genus, and which belong to the closest
and most similar population available (in terms of genetics, ecology, etc.).
In case of such conservation introduction/translocation, it must be possible to
reliably assess that they present low risks, also in relation to their potential to
become invasive.
(x) the proposal must include a preparatory phase, a re-introduction or
introduction/translocation phase and a follow-up phase, as well as an exit
strategy, in case the reintroduction or introduction/translocation does not
proceed according to plan;
(xi) sustainability of the re-introduction or introduction/translocation needs to be
guaranteed.
Re-introduction and other conservation introduction/translocation actions outside
existing Natura 2000 sites or protected areas are only eligible if the proposal meets
each of the following additional conditions:
(i) it includes a commitment from the competent authority to designate the core
reproductive and feeding areas of the (re)introduced/translocated population
as Natura 2000 sites (in case of species listed in Annex II of the Habitats
Directive and bird species listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive or regularly
occurring migratory species) or as protected areas, before the end of the
project (provided the reintroduction orintroduction/translocation has been
successful);
(ii) it ensures that the Member State’s competent authority is a beneficiary of the
project (coordinator or associated beneficiary). A specific action, implemented
by the competent authority for the designation, must be included in the
proposal.
Further guidelines on re-introduction and conservation introductions/translocations
can be found in the following document:
http://www.issg.org/pdf/publications/RSG_ISSG-Reintroduction-Guidelines-2013.pdf
Ex situ conservation actions
These concern actions such as captive breeding, seed banks, etc., and may include
sustainable investments in infrastructure / equipment. In order to be eligible, as well
as to be considered as a concrete conservation action, ex situ conservation must be
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linked to a reintroduction during the project. Exceptionally, these investments will be
considered eligible in the absence of a planned reintroduction if clear justification is
given to prove that ex situ conservation is the only possible/useful type of
conservation action at present for that/those species.
Land purchase
The eligibility of any costs for land purchase is subject to the conditions listed below.
The applicant must address each of these conditions in the proposal, explaining how
each condition is met or will be met during the project.
(i) The land purchase must be clearly related to the objectives of the project.
(ii) The land purchased must contribute to improving, maintaining or restoring the
integrity of the Natura 2000 network.
(iii) The purchase is the only or most cost-effective way of achieving the desired
conservation outcome.
(iv) The purchased land is reserved in the long-term for uses consistent with the
objectives set out in Article 3 of the LIFE Regulation, through the most
appropriate form of legal protection.
(v) The beneficiaries must ensure that the sales contract / notary act and/or entry
in the land register includes a guarantee that the land is assigned definitively
(without time limitation) to nature conservation purposes. Where both
possibilities exist (sales contract and land registry entry), the beneficiaries
must use the option that offers the strongest long-term protection. Note that
at the latest with the final report, the beneficiaries will have to submit a copy
of the sales contract and/or entry in the land register including the above
mentioned guarantee. Should they fail to provide such documents, the
corresponding land purchase costs and associated costs will be considered
ineligible. For countries where it would be illegal to include such a guarantee
in both the land register and in the sale contract, the granting authority may
accept an equivalent guarantee, provided it offers the same legal level of
protection in the long term.
(vi) The land must be purchased by one of the project beneficiaries who is either a
well-established private organisation (e.g. nature conservation NGO or other)
or a public body with nature conservation responsibility, and must remain in its
ownership after the end of the project.
(vii) The proposal must demonstrate that each beneficiary that will carry out land
purchase has the necessary competence and experience in land purchase for
nature conservation, and that the planned target is realistic within the time
framework of the project.
(viii) If the purchasing body is a private organisation, its statutes must include a
provision that, in case of dissolution, the land will be transferred to another
legal body primarily active in the field of nature conservation (e.g. another
conservation NGO or appropriate public body).
(ix) Evidence must be provided in the proposal that the purchase price is
consistent with the current market prices for the type of land and the region
concerned.
(x) Evidence must be provided that the land purchased was not owned by a public
authority in the 24 months prior to the project application date.
(xi) The purchased land must be the subject, during the project, of specific
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restoration and/or active management or restrictions of use that go beyond
legal obligations and existing restrictions that could not be imposed without
purchasing the land. The purchase of land that is in excellent conservation
status (i.e. that requires no restoration or specific management or restrictions
of use) is only eligible if strategic to the objectives of the project.
Long-term land lease, purchase of rights and one-off compensation
payments
The same conditions for land purchase listed above apply here, as and where
appropriate, to these types of payments. The applicant must address each of these
conditions in the proposal, explaining how each condition is met or will be met during
the project. The duration of a lease must be sufficient to guarantee the durability of
the conservation investment (e.g. 30 years or longer). See also the General
Conditions of the Model LIFE Grant Agreement.
Short term land lease or temporary compensation payments
Land lease or compensation payments with a limited duration, within the project
period, will only be eligible insofar as they are necessary for the demonstration of
pilot actions favourable to the conservation status of the species, habitats or
ecosystem targeted. Note that appropriate justification for the cost-effectiveness of
short term lease payments (consistency with current market prices for the type of
land and the region concerned) will have to be provided with the project's final report.
Ineligible costs concerning land purchase, one–off compensation payments
and lease payments
Any land purchase payments, one–off compensation payments or lease payments to
public bodies are not eligible, with the exception of compensation or short-term lease
payments to local authorities (i.e. municipalities or similar).
For the exception to be valid, it must be explicitly foreseen in the project and
beneficiaries must demonstrate that it is the only cost-effective solution to reach the
objectives of the project. Moreover, it is recommended that local authorities re-invest
the income from such payments into conservation or public awareness-raising
measures for Natura 2000 network or for achieving the targets of the EU Biodiversity
Strategy to 2030. Those proposals which include a commitment from the local
authorities in question to do so will be considered for a higher scoring on EU added
value in the project evaluation process and may therefore have a higher chance of
being selected for co-funding.
Ongoing management of habitats and recurring activities
Annual or otherwise recurring habitat management actions that were already ongoing
before the start of the project are not eligible. Where additional or new recurring
management actions are established during the project (for example to kick-start the
long-term management of an area restored through project actions), applicants need
to explain and justify in their proposal why these actions should be financed through
the LIFE Programme and how their continuation will be financed after the end of the
project.
Where actions to be undertaken in the project are significantly different from previous
or ongoing activities in terms of frequency or intensity, they are not considered
ongoing. The applicant must provide adequate information in the proposal that allows
to assess this aspect.
At the time of the final payment, the Agency will verify that the recurring actions are
still being undertaken at the required periodicity, that they are indeed indispensable
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