EU Commits Over €86 Million to Long-Term Environmental and Climate Initiatives

On April 15, 2025, the European Commission announced a significant investment exceeding €86 million in five strategic environmental and climate projects across Denmark, Estonia, Poland, Slovenia, and Iceland. This funding, part of the LIFE Programme, aims to support Europe’s goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

Three of these projects align with the European Water Resilience Strategy, focusing on restoring water cycles, enhancing water efficiency, and ensuring access to clean and affordable freshwater. The initiatives also support key EU directives, including the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Water Framework Directive, the Nature Restoration Law, the Air Quality Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and the clean energy transition.

Specific projects include:

• Denmark: The LIFE ACT project involves 27 municipalities working to reduce CO₂ emissions and protect 2,900 km of coastline.

• Poland: LIFE Pom GOZilla.PL aims to establish a circular economy to address waste and landfill issues.

• Estonia: LIFE SIP WET-EST focuses on improving water quality, controlling pollution, and restoring wetlands.

• Slovenia: LIFE4ADAPT seeks to mitigate the impacts of droughts, forest fires, and floods.

• Iceland: LIFE ICEWATER brings together government agencies, researchers, and municipalities to enhance water quality and conserve scarce water resources.

Additionally, the Commission adopted the work programme for the LIFE Programme’s implementation from 2025 to 2027, allocating an overall budget of €2.3 billion. This programme outlines strategies and funding opportunities aimed at driving Europe’s transition to a clean, circular, competitive, and climate-resilient economy.