The Committee of the Regions is drafting an opinion on the Proposal for a regulation of the Council and the European Parliament on "The establishment of a Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE)" COM(2011) 874 final.
In addition to mainstreaming of environment and climate change in the major EU funds, the Commission proposes to continue the LIFE Programme to increase the coherence and the added-value of the Union intervention, as well as to close some remaining funding gaps.
LIFE constitutes an important instrument in helping fund local and regional environmental policies and projects with a European added value. Public authorities and development agencies were the most common group of beneficiaries for all three LIFE+ components (42% of lead beneficiaries in 2007 and 2008, with up to 51% in Nature and Biodiversity).
Already in its opinion on the way forward for the LIFE programme (
CdR 6/2011 fin) , the CoR proposed that the future LIFE programme continues to be a decisive incentive for local and regional authorities and made first concrete recommendations on how to further improve LIFE.
Therefore, the Rapporteur on the opinion, Ms Kay TWITCHEN (UK/NI), Member of the ENVE Commission of the CoR and Member of Essex County Council, together with her expert, Mr Richard KITT, would be happy to meet with representatives of the associations of local and regional authorities and other stakeholders for a consultation and exchange of views on her opinion.
The consultation will take place on:
Thursday 16 February, 15h00 – 17h00
At the premises of the Committee of the Regions
(Rue Belliard 99-101, B-1040 Brussels)
Room JDE 70
After a short introduction by the Rapporteur. the European Commission, represented by DG ENVE and DG CLIMA, will outline its proposal for the LIFE programme.
The Rapporteur would be very keen to hear your views during the meeting and invites all stakeholders to come forward and present their cases during this consultation. At the end of meeting the Rapporteur will draw some conclusions for his report.
In addition, if you have any additional position papers touching upon the topic, you are welcome to send them to us by e-mail.
The discussion will be held in English, the mother tongue of the Rapporteur.
For more information, please contact our team:
Please note that the CoR will not provide paper copies for the meeting, in order to reduce paper waste.