Source: European Parliament
The EU programme for the environment and climate action (LIFE), under Article 11(6) of the LIFE Regulation[1] provides for ‘operating grants that support the functioning of non-profit making entities which are involved in the development, implementation and enforcement of Union legislation and policy, and which are primarily active in the area of the environment or climate action, including energy transition’. The management of these grants complies with the Financial Regulation[2].
Operating grants are awarded competitively through calls for proposals[3], based on transparent award criteria published in the Call. Applicants submit proposals that include the description of their work programmes of activities in areas indicated in the LIFE Regulation; their proposals are assessed towards the published award criteria.
All the members of the evaluation committee, including Commission or Executive Agency staff, sign declarations on absence of conflict of interest before engaging with the assessment of the submitted proposals.
The grants are awarded to the proposals scoring highest towards the award criteria. The grants do not support political campaigns, as the eligibility criteria specify that the organisations supported must be independent, in particular from government, other public authorities, and from political or commercial interests[4].
- [1] Regulation (EU) 2021/783 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing a Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE), and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1293/2013.
- [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202402509
- [3] https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life/life-operating-grants_en and https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life/life-calls-proposals-2024_en#life-calls-for-proposals-2024
- [4] https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life/life-operating-grants_en#application-for-operating-grants–eligibility-criteria