Is LIFE over as we know it?
What is in store for biodiversity funding in the next EU Budget?
Is LIFE over as we know it?
The proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) – also known as the EU Budget – was published by the European Commission in July 2025. The proposal outlines how the EU will spend its money over the years 2028‒2034.
The unexpected and unwelcome surprise in the proposal is the exclusion of the LIFE Programme. It is the EU’s flagship fund for financing biodiversity conservation and climate action as the main tool for implementing the Birds and Habitats Directives (aka Natura 2000), the EU Green Deal, the Nature Restoration Regulation and a supplementary tool for many other important themes. We would even go so far to say that almost all Protected Area professionals have heard of and likely benefited from a LIFE project.
While there is still money set aside for “climate and environment” in the budget proposal, it is without any clear guarantee that some of the money will be spent on nature and no set percentage which would bring stability across the years. As EUROPARC, we emphasise the need for clear language and SMART goals that mention nature conservation, restoration and protection.
Another important factor for Protected Areas is that the focus on business and agriculture means that any money going towards biodiversity conservation will most likely be funneled through those sectors, rather than directly in the hands of organisations such as our members, who have the expertise and an excellent track record.
Lastly, reducing the amount of EU funds dedicated to nature conservation does not mean a government’s commitment to supporting the EU budget is reduced, but rather that their pressure to fund nature conservation will increase as they are likely to have to make up for any deficits, especially in well-established structures such as National Parks.
For example, a large nature restoration project would be funded 50 – 60% by LIFE funds, 30% by the national government and the rest by other sources. Without a dedicated fund for nature, the EU funded portion would be harder to access and organisations would turn towards national governments to fill the gap. The promised solution of private investments bankrolling large scale nature conservation is still not yet widely applicable with few cases of success and should complement public funding rather than lead to diminishing public resources for nature.
If there is no dedicated programme for biodiversity and climate – if LIFE is truly over – we face the possibility that EU resources for nature conservation, restoration and protected areas are severely reduced in the coming years.
But this is just a proposal! If we do not want LIFE to be over, the time to act is now.
What can we do?
We can:
- Share our opinion on the MFF proposal by providing examples of how effective and important the LIFE Programme has been in our work. This can be done as either an individual citizen or as an organisation. Just go to the link below and share it with your colleagues.
- Talk to your country’s ministry that is responsible for environmental issues. Talk to your country’s finance ministry. Tell them how important the LIFE Programme is for your protected area. Tell them how important nature is for society and how important it is to fund its protection and restoration.
If you want to know more about the EU Budget, this is the place to go:
EU budget 2028-2034For more opinion pieces, consider reading articles by the EEB, EURACTIVE, and ClientEarth.
Share the news with your colleagues and let’s restore LIFE to life!