It’s been 26 years since the launch in Romania of the
\nLIFE Programme, a financing instrument of the European Union for protecting
\nnature. The programme’s general aim is to contribute to the successful
\napplication of EU policy and legislation on the environment by co-funding
\nEuropean added value projects. This project has helped restore forests and
\naquatic habitats, saving numerous endangered species. Many sites are also
\nprotected through the Natura 2000 network. Europe has today 27,000 such sites,
\nwhich cover 18% of EU’s territory. We found out more from Madalina Cozma,
\nproject manager with the Ministry of the Environment: <\/p>\n
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The EU believes it is very important to have a
\nfinancial instrument dedicated to biodiversity and the protection of a clean
\nand healthy environment. Fortunately, things have expanded, as the EU has
\nrealised it’s a also good thing to support productive activities, so Life
\nProgramme financing also covers this aspect, alongside the conservation of
\nbiodiversity and the environment. We should keep in mind that productive
\nactivities, which create jobs, have to be in harmony with a clean environment.
\nWe need industrial production in harmony with EU directives for environmental
\nprotection and conservation. The LIFE Programme also deals with activities
\naimed at climate, but also information and governance. Therefore, people have
\nto be informed on the procedures involved in this programme, the way in which
\nthey can influence European legislation, but also the way in which they can act
\nregionally.<\/p>\n
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Romania has valuable ecosystems, recognised at
\na European level, covering a surface area of 1.6 million hectares, as well as
\nthe Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve with its 580,000 hectares. Protected natural
\nareas in Romania, including the Natura 2000 sites, account for 23% of the
\ncountry’s surface area. The new LIFE Programme supports parties interested in
\nprotecting nature and conserving endangered species. The new integrated LIFE
\nprojects aim to put into application environment and climate legislation, in
\norder to tackle issues such as water shortages, climate change, the circular
\neconomy and loss of biodiversity. Here is Madalina Cozma from the Romanian
\nMinistry of the Environment: <\/p>\n
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We are doing everything in our power to inform
\ninterested parties, potential beneficiaries and the people running projects
\nabout the way in which they can be implemented, what they should do and how to
\ncomply with EU provisions. New elements were launched on 18 April. This year
\nwe’ll be able to upload the projects on the EU’s digital platform in two
\nstages: we can make a concept note presenting what we as potential
\nbeneficiaries can do and informing the people financing our ideas for projects.
\nThis means writing within a template provided by the EU, about ten pages long,
\nwhere to express our ideas and provide a financial evaluation. This document is
\nthen posted on the EU’s digital platform until June 10. In October the EU
\nprovides an answer as to whether the idea is worth financing, then we write the
\nproject in long form, the template for which can also be found on the EU
\nwebsite, and then we submit the project and we’ll get an answer in January
\n2019. In July 2019 we can begin implementing the project. We have a National Point
\nof Contact within the Ministry of the Environment, where you can call the line
\ndialling 021.4089609, or you can go to the website of the ministry, where you
\nhave all the data.<\/p>\n
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Since 1992, when the LIFE Programme was
\nlaunched, 3,942 projects have been implemented, with 52 projects in Romania in
\nall areas covered by the programme. Madalina Cozma gave us a few examples: <\/p>\n
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Projects dealing with conservation and
\nbiodiversity. Here we have valuable projects recognised at the European level,
\nsuch as the Management and Protection of Large Carnivores. We also have
\nprojects aimed at protecting birds. We have projects such as the one for
\nprotecting a rare species of bird, a project developed together with our
\ncolleagues in Hungary and a bird protection NGO. We have a project, which we
\nplan to continue, regarding another species of bird that was all but extinct in
\nEurope, endemic to the western pat of the country, from the Banat region to the
\nPannonian Basin. This was a very successful project, which we also presented at
\nEU level. We continue to strive to attract as many potential beneficiaries as
\npossible and to explain the role of these types of financing and how they can
\napply within the programme. With this programme, we want to access as much
\nfunding as we can so as to be able to conserve a large part of Romania’s
\ntreasure trove of nature and biodiversity.<\/p>\n
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The financial package for the application of
\nthe LIFE Programme for 2014-2020 is over 3 billion euros, compared to 2 billion
\neuros for the 2007-2013 interval. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Its been 26 years since the launch in Romania of the LIFE Programme, a financing instrument of the European Union for protecting nature.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":148418,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44315],"tags":[44383],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-153125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-green-planet","tag-life-programme"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n