2008 Call for LIFE+ proposals

LIFE is the EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the EU, as well as in some candidate, acceding and neighbouring countries. Since 1992, LIFE has co-financed some 2,750 projects, contributing approximately €1.35 billion to the protection of the environment.

The Commission invites entities registered in the European Union to present proposals for the LIFE+ call for proposals 2008.

Proposals must be written on specific application forms. These forms and the application guide that includes detailed explanations in regard to eligibility and procedures can be obtained from the Commission's website on the following address:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/lifeplus.htm

Proposals must be submitted on CD-ROM or DVD in an electronic PDF format that is based on a scan of the original printed A4 format paper forms.

Beneficiaries

Proposals must be presented by entities registered in the Member States of the European Union being public and/or private bodies, actors and institutions.

The following themes are covered by this announcement

1. LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity

Principal objective: To protect, conserve, restore, monitor and facilitate the functioning of natural systems, natural habitats, wild flora and fauna, with the aim of halting the loss of biodiversity, including diversity of genetic resources, within the EU by 2010.

2. LIFE+ Environment Policy and Governance

Principal objectives:

— Climate change: To stabilise greenhouse gas concentration at a level that prevents global warming above 2 °C.

— Water: To contribute to enhanced water quality by developing cost-effective measures to achieve good ecological status in view of developing the first river basin management plan under Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (Water Framework Directive) by 2009.

— Air: To achieve levels of air quality that do not give rise to significant negative impacts on and risks to human health and the environment.

— Soil: To protect and to ensure the sustainable use of soil by preserving soil functions, preventing threats to soil, mitigating their effects and restoring degraded soils.

— Urban environment: To contribute to improving the environmental performance of Europe's urban areas.

— Noise: To contribute to policy development and implementation on environmental noise.

C 178/22 EN Official Journal of the European Union 15.7.2008

— Chemicals: To improve the protection of environment and health from risks posed by chemicals by 2020 by implementing chemicals legislation, in particular Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (REACH) and the Thematic Strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides.

— Environment and health: To develop the information base for policy on the environment and health (the Environment and Health Action Plan for 2004 to 2010).

— Natural resources and waste: To develop and implement policies designed to ensure sustainable management and use of natural resources and waste, and to improve the environmental performances of products, sustainable production and consumption patterns, waste prevention, recovery and recycling; to contribute to the effective implementation of the Thematic Strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste.

— Forests: To provide, especially through an EU coordination network, a concise and comprehensive basis for policy relevant information on forests in relation to climate change (impact on forest ecosystems, mitigation, substitution effects), biodiversity (baseline information and protected forest areas), forest fires, forest conditions and the protective functions of forests (water, soil and infrastructure) as well as contributing to the protection of forests against fires.

— Innovation: To contribute to developing and demonstrating innovative policy approaches, technologies, methods and instruments to assist in the implementation of the Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP).

— Strategic approaches: To promote the effective implementation and enforcement of Community environmental legislation and improve the knowledge base for environmental policy; to improve the environmental performance of SMEs.

Whilst any project proposal dealing with the above-mentioned principal objectives is welcome, the Commission would favour those dealing with climate change.

3. LIFE+ Information and Communication

Principal objective: To disseminate information and raise awareness on environmental issues, including forest fire prevention; and to provide support for accompanying measures, such as information, communication actions and campaigns, conferences and training, including training on forest fire prevention.

Whilst any project proposal dealing with the above-mentioned principal objective is welcome, the Commission would favour those dealing with halting the loss of biodiversity.

EU Cofinancing rates

1. LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity projects

— The rate of Community financial support shall be a maximum of 50 % of the eligible costs.

— Exceptionally, a maximum cofinancing rate of 75 % is applicable to proposals which target priority habitats/species of the Birds' and Habitats' Directives.

2. LIFE+ Environment Policy and Governance

— The rate of Community financial support shall be a maximum of 50 % of the eligible costs.

3. LIFE+ Information and Communication

— The rate of Community financial support shall be a maximum of 50 % of the eligible costs.

Deadline

Project proposals shall be submitted to the national competent authorities by 21 November 2008. Project proposals shall be forwarded to the national authority of the Member State in which the beneficiary is registered.

Proposals will then be submitted by the national authorities to the Commission by 5 January 2009.

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Budget involved

The overall budget for project action grants under LIFE+ in 2008 is EUR 207 500 000. At least 50 % of this amount shall be allocated to measures to support the conservation of nature and biodiversity.

The indicative national financial allocations for 2008 are as follows: (EUR)

Country Indicative amount Country Indicative amount Country Indicative amount

AT 3 895 038 FI 7 431 275 MT 2 384 000

BE 4 282 100 FR 18 154 414 NL 6 654 410

BU 4 467 666 GR 7 053 895 PL 9 830 858

CY 2 200 000 HU 5 186 640 PT 5 810 890

CZ 4 117 414 IE 3 267 012 RO 9 033 381

DE 24 152 660 IT 18 265 318 SE 8 528 922

DK 5 095 709 LT 2 856 683 SI 4 471 481

EE 3 438 168 LU 2 268 234 SK 3 170 514

ES 22 228 050 LV 2 750 000 UK 16 505 268

More information

More information including the application guidelines and application forms can be found on the LIFE website:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/lifeplus.htm

It is also possible to contact the relevant national authorities:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/contact/nationalcontact/index.htm

C 178/24 EN Official Journal of the European Union 15.7.2008

Call for Proposals for the Community Initiative Program INTERREG III A / GREECE - CYPRUS 2000-2006, for the Protection, Management and Enhancement natural environment.

The Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance invites the bodies, falling into the following categories Final Beneficiaries, for proposals in order to join and be funded under the Measure 3. 2. «Protection, promotion and management of natural environment»

For the Greek side:

Local Government Organizations eligible area (Municipalities, Communities, Water - Sewage Enterprise Municipal)

For the Cypriot side:

Ministries

The proposals that will be selected for inclusion in these measures will be funded for the Greeks Final Beneficiaries (Partners) by 25% from national sources and 75% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and for Cypriot Final Beneficiaries (Partners) by 50% from national sources and by 50% from ERDF whose mission is:

Financial resources (National and Community participation) available to finance the project proposals of this call amounts to 3,500,000 euros.

1. AREAS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM

The areas of application program for the Greek side are:

Region of Crete: The Lassithi, Heraklion, Chania and Rethymno Province.

South Aegean Region: The Prefecture of Dodecanese

Northern Aegean Region: The States of Lesvos, Chios and Samos.

For the Cyprus: the whole country.

2. DEADLINE

The period for submitting project proposals begin on 06-10-2008 and end on 06-11-2008.

3. UPDATE - INFORMATION

Specific information on the regulations of the European Union are available at www.europa.eu.int.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE C.I.P. INTERREG IIIA/ PHARE CBC GREECE – BULGARIA for the «Strengthening Business Activities and developing Human resources».

The Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance of Greece invites the following Final Beneficiaries

Ministry of Economy and Finance and supervised bodies

To submit project proposals in order to be integrated and financed in the framework of the following measures of the programme: 2.1 «Strengthening Business Activities and developing Human resources»

The eligible action categories according to the measure are as follows:

- Assisting agencies that support business activity

The proposals that will be selected will receive 25% financing from Greek national resources and 75% from the European Regional Development Fund (E.R.D.F.)

The financial resources (national and Community participation) available for the actions with the present call amount to 2.500.000,00 € with co-financing 625.000,00 € (25%) from National resources and 1.875.000,00 € (75%) from the E. R. D. F.

ELIGIBLE REGIONS

The actions must take place in one or more of the following regions

1.             For the Greek side: Prefectures of Drama, Kavala, Xanthi, Rodopi, Evros, Thessaloniki and Serres

2.             For the Bulgarian side: The areas of Blagoevgrad, Smolian, Kardjali, Khaskovo.

DEADLINE

The deadline for the receipt of applications is 17/10/2008 before 16:00 local time.

The Managing Authority CIP INTERREG III may extend or recall the present call for proposals applying the same way of publicity.

Information

·             For the detailed call for proposals and for special information applicants may consult the website www.interreg.gr or may contact the Managing Authority.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE C.I.P. INTERREG IIIA NEIGHBOURHOOD PROGRAMME GREECE – ALBANIA

The Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance of Greece in coordination with the Contracting Authority of Albania and the Programme Coordination Unit / Ministry of European Integration, Albania invites the following Final Beneficiaries

Ministry of Economy and Finance and supervised bodies

and the following eligible applicants from Albania:

to submit project proposals in order to be integrated and financed in the framework of the following measures of the programme:

FINANCIAL ALLOCATION

Proposals can be submitted requesting funding from the European Regional Development Fund (E.R.D.F.), for activities to be financed on the Greek side of the border, and from the Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (C.A.R.D.S.), for activities to be financed on the Albanian side of the border. The joint project proposals submitted may include financing requests from both ERDF and CARDS, or independently.

ERDF financing (for Greek applicants):

The proposals that will be selected will receive 25% financing from Greek national resources and 75% from the European Regional Development Fund (E.R.D.F.), whose mission is the following: «Contribution to alleviating inequalities in terms of development and living standards among different regions, as well as reducing the disadvantages of the less favoured regions. It can also contribute to obliterate the main regional inequalities in the Community due to the participation, development, and structural adjustment of the less developed regions as well as to the socio-economic restructuring of the regions». The financial resources (national and Community participation) available for the actions with the present call amount to 700.000 euros with joint financing of 175.000 euros from national resources and 525.000 euros from the ERDF.

CARDS Financing (for Albanian applicants):

The CARDS Regional Programme provides no funds.

CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBLE ACTIONS

The eligible action categories according to the measure are as follows:

The measure provide actions for the support of representative bodies in order to provide the enterprises with appropriate information for developing production and commercial activities in the cross-border area.

ELIGIBLE REGIONS

The actions must take place in one or more of the following regions

GREECE

Region of Western Macedonia (prefectures of Florina and Kastoria), Region of Epirus (prefectures of Ioannina and Thesprotia) and Region of Ionian Islands (prefecture of Corfu)

ALBANIA

The following regions: Gjirokaster, Korca and Vlora.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

The deadline for the receipt of applications is 23/10/2008 before 16:00 local time.

INFORMATION

For the detailed call for proposals and for special information applicants may consult the website www.interreg.gr or may contact the Joint Technical Secretariat.

CALL EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR THE SELECTION OF AN INTERMEDIATE OPERATOR MANAGEMENT ACTS OF public assistance FOR THE BUSINESS PLAN «ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND COMPETITIVENESS»

The Minister for Development calls for expressions of interest in choosing an intermediary Management acts of public assistance for entrepreneurship and competitiveness of the Operational Program «ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND COMPETITIVENESS» and the Regional Operational Program on the regions of Attica, Central Macedonia, Western Macedonia, Central N. Greece and the Aegean.

The project of this mission is the application of acts of public assistance above the operational programs and the management of the resource-total indicative budget-1800 million €. To the contractor paid the necessary to implement the project of operating costs in accordance with the provisions of Presidential Decree 98/1996 (GG 77 A/8.5.1996) and the law.

Right to participate in the selection process have:

a. Existing private non-profit legal persons,

b. Unions legal persons submitting a joint proposal. In the case of choice, the union is required to establish a non-profit legal person, which will be contracted with the contracting authority and will undertake the implementation of the project.

The detailed terms of this call in number 9939/2008 EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST CALL ISSUE, which anyone who concerned is able to receive from the offices of the Special Office of Operational Program Management and Business Competitiveness, Mesogeion 56, 115 27 Athens, 1st Floor - Central Protocol, tel: 210-7450801, fax: 210 7473666, during working hours 10:00 to 14:00.

This decision, the issue of call for expressions of interest and other attachments texts of the decision will be posted on the website of the Special Secretariat for Competitiveness www.antagonistikotita.gr, as well as on the website of the Ministry of Development www.ypan.gr from wherever can be recovered electronically.

SUBMISSION

The proposals of interested deposited until 07-11-2008, Friday at 14:00 at the headquarters of the Special Office of Operational Program Management and Business Competitiveness, Mesogeion 56 115 27, Athens, 1st Floor - Central Protocol. Proposals submitted after the above date and time is late and returned.

The project financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and the Greek government, under the Operational Program "ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND COMPETITIVENESS" - OP II and the Regional Operational Program «Macedonia-Thrace», «Crete and the Aegean Islands» , «Thessaly-Central Greece-Epirus», «Attica».