1. LIFE International Conference on Katerina Raftopoulou
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International Conference on Katerina Raftopoulou
Management of Priority Waste Streams External Monitoring Team
15 June LIFE Environment, Nature
Nicosia, Cyprus & Third Countries

2. Treaty of Amsterdam, Art 174
Community policy on the environment:
Preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment
Protecting human health
Prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources
Promoting measures at international level to deal with regional or worldwide environmental problems

3. Key principles
Precautionary principle: pollution should be rectified at source
Principle of preventive action
Polluter pays principle
Principle of integration
Utilisation of technical and scientific data

4. Sixth Environmental Action Programme 2001-2010
Environmental Policy
Innovative in its approach
Seek new ways of working with a wide cross-section of society
Full enforcement of all existing legislation
LIFE together with other instruments (EMAS, Ecolabel) contributes to an effective implementation of the policy

5. What is LIFE;

6. LIFE III - General Objectives
LIFE co-finances environmental actions that...
“contribute to the implementation, updating and development of Community environment policy and legislation, in particular as regards the integration of the environment into other policies, and to sustainable development in the Community.”

7. LIFE III - General Objectives
The specific objective of LIFE Environment is to contribute to the development of innovative techniques and methods by co-financing demonstration projects that further the development of EC environment policy,
The specific objective of LIFE-Nature is to contribute to the implementation of Community nature protection legislation: the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive, and in particular 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.
The specific objective of LIFE-Third Countries is to contribute to the establishment of capacities and administrative structures needed in the environmental sector and in the development of environmental policy and action programmes in third countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the Baltic Sea.

8. The Rules and Regulations
The LIFE Regulation (1655/2000 amended by 1682/2004)
The Special Provisions of the Commission’s Grant Agreement
The Common Provisions (CPs)
Previously known as SAPs
The project proposal
Defines scope and objectives of the project
Contains the baseline for technical and financial planning
Confirms the partnership and management/team structure
Summarises objectives and methods envisaged

9. LIFE phases Launched in 1992: LIFE I (1992-1995): €400 million
LIFE II ( ): €450 million
LIFE III ( ): €640 million
LIFE III Extension ( ): €317 million
LIFE + ( ): €2190 million

10. Budget distribution In the years 2004-2005: LIFE-Environment (47%)
LIFE-Nature (47%)
LIFE-Third Countries (6%)

11. LIFE in numbers Since 1992: Total: 2.618 projects
1.497 LIFE-Environment projects
908 LIFE-Nature projects
213 LIFE-Third Countries projects
Total: projects

12. Since 1992: LIFE in Cyprus LIFE-Third Countries projects
1 LIFE-Nature project
Total budget: € 6.3 million + € 2.5 million = € 8.8 million
EC contrib: € 4.5 million + € 1.5 million = € 6.0 million

13. LIFE Third Countries
The specific objective of LIFE-Third Countries is to contribute to the establishment of capacities and administrative structures needed in the environmental sector and in the development of environmental policy and action programmes in third countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the Baltic Sea.

14. 16 benefiting countries Albania Algeria Bosnia-Herzegovina Croatia
Cyprus
Egypt
Israel
Jordan
Lebanon
Malta and Cyprus were eligible until accession in 2004.
Some projects are still being implemented in these countries.
Malta
Morocco
Syria
Tunisia
Turkey
The West Bank and Gaza
The Baltic shoreline of Russia (Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg regions)

15. LIFE Third Countries projects
213 projects supported since 1992
Project duration generally 3-4 years
EC financial support: maximum 70% of eligible costs
Average size of EC co-financing rate: €320,000 per project
Currently 84 on-going LIFE TCY projects (Sept 2005)
[4 in Cyprus]

16. Projects favoured Technical assistance projects
Contribution to sustainable development
Solution to major environmental problems
Contribution to implementation of international agreements
Priority to promotion of cooperation at transfrontier, transnational and regional level
Approximation to the EU environmental acquis

17. Examples of capacity building elements
Training of ministry staff (environment and related sectors)
Training of NGOs, teachers and other stakeholders
Training of technical staff e.g. in industries to reduce environmental impacts of industrial activities
Development of environmental legislation
Development and implementation of innovative methods for dealing with environmental problems, e.g. to reduce waste production and discharge
Development of management structures for protected areas
Implementation of monitoring systems to assist in identifying needs for environmental regulation

18. Examples of project themes in Cyprus
Waste (waste management, domestic waste, recycling, waste water, mining waste, pig-farming wastes, ELVs, C&DW, WEEE)
Pollution (industrial, transport emissions)
Land-use planning, urban development, indicators
EMAS
Natura 2000
Public awareness on conservation and environmental issues

19. Role of the External Teams
Support the Commission in monitoring projects by:
Explaining Regulations and Provisions
Do not make decisions
Do not get involved in management of financial issues
Help the Commission to evaluate progress on a technical level
Act with confidentiality
Independent from projects

20. Contacts DG Environment - Unit E4 EC Desk Officer for Cyprus (TCY)
Mr. Michael Oliver, ,
EC Desk Officer for Greece and Cyprus (ENV, NAT)
Mr. Alexis Tsalas, ,
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment
Ms. Eleni Stylianopoulou
LIFE External Monitoring Team for Cyprus:
Ms. Katerina Raftopoulou, ,

21. LIFE website: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life