135 new LIFE projects allocated €390 million in EU funding

The EU’s flagship LIFE Programme has awarded €390 million to 135 new climate, nature, circular economy and clean energy projects across Europe. The EU funding is up 9% compared to 2025 and represents around two-thirds of the €579 million total investment of the projects. The remaining €189 million comes from national, regional and local governments, public-private partnerships, businesses and civil society organisations.  

The 135 projects announced today were selected from a record 1095 applications submitted under the LIFE 2025 call for proposals. Together, they cover all 27 EU Member States (MS) plus Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Ukraine. The projects will help halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, achieve a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, support the EU competitiveness compass and ensure sustainable, long-term economic growth.  

The selection includes:  

• 29 projects focused on protecting and restoring nature and biodiversity across 16 Member States, which will be granted €223 million (of which the EU will provide over €151 million). 
• 36 projects focused on enhancing circular economy and quality of life in 13 Member States, which will be granted €163 million (of which the EU will provide over €91 million). 
• 26 projects that will strengthen climate resilience through adaption and mitigation in 9 Member States, which will be granted €102 million (of which the EU will provide over €61 million).  
• 44 new multi-country projects aimed at accelerating the clean energy transition across all 15 Member States, which will be granted €91 million (of which the EU will provide over €87 million).  

Successful nature and biodiversity applicants range from restoring Belgium’s coastal sand dunes to saving threatened vultures in Romania and Bulgaria. Projects that protect rare ducks, seals,  the the Pyrenean desman (also called Iberian trumpet rat) and sand flowers are among other vulnerable species to benefit, while five preparatory projects will help develop and implement EU environmental and climate policies. Projects to boost circular economy and quality of life include advanced tyre inflation technology in Slovakia, remanufacturing forest machinery in Finland and innovative wastewater treatment in the Netherlands. Five additional projects designed to increase awareness, training, compliance and stakeholder participation will also receive funding. 

Projects to increase climate resilience range from carbon capture and storage in Germany to developing refrigerated transport free from fluorinated gases in Austria and supporting Mediterranean countries to recover from wildfires. The climate sub-programme also includes three climate governance and information projects that aim to advance climate policy implementation, strengthen awareness and support EU climate law compliance. Among the successful clean energy transition proposals is a project that is helping local authorities in all Member States plus Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Ukraine invest in sustainable energy. Other projects are engaged in activities such as supporting social solidarity institutions to make the clean energy transition in Portugal and investing in green district heating and cooling systems in Croatia and Denmark.  Another project aims to help chemical plants replace fossil-fuel heat with high-temperature electric heat pumps.  

Click here for the press release and here for the full list of new projects.