LIFE, the Financial Instrument for the Environment, introduced in 1992, is one of the spearheads of the European Union's environmental policy. It co-finances projects in three areas:

 LIFE - Nature actions aimed at conservation of natural habitats and the wild fauna and flora of European Union interest, according to the Birds and Habitats directives. They support implementation of the nature conservation policy and the Natura 2000 Network of the European Union.

  LIFE - Environment actions which aim to implement the Community policy and legislation on the environment in the European Union and candidate countries. This approach enables demonstration and development of new methods for the protection and the enhancement of the environment.

 LIFE - Third Countries actions concerning technical assistance activities for promoting sustainable development in third countries. This component of the programme enables a management capacity of the environment, both for our administrative partners outside the Union as well as within companies and the NGOs of these countries.

LIFE is open to all EU countries, some candidate countries (to date Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia) and some third countries bordering the south of the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea.

Project HEATSUN has been awarded funding under the LIFE Environment Programme (No. LIFE00/ENV/IRL/000764).

For information on the LIFE Programme see:

europa./environment/life/