The Commission invites entities registered in the European Union to present proposals for the LIFE+ call for proposals 2009. The general objective of LIFE+ shall be to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of Community environmental policy and legislation, including the integration of the environment into other policies, thereby contributing to sustainable development.

The following themes are covered by this announcement.

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.

LIFE+ Environment Policy and Governance

• 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 (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;
• Chemicals: To improve the protection of environment and health from risks posed by chemicals by 2020 by implementing chemicals legislation, in particular Regulation No 1907/2006 (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 perfor­ mances 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.

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.

The Community provisional funding available for the call for proposals is:

• 250,00 Million EUR (Global Budget)

• 15 September 2009 - 15 years ago (Deadline for the presentation of proposals)

• Call for Proposals 2009 (Legal base)

Opened to the following bodies or institutes with legal status established in the covered areas:

• Any legal organisation

Bodies or institutes must have their registered legal seat in one of the countries taking part in the Programme which are:

• European Union (EU)
• European Economic Area (EEA)
• Candidate Countries
• European Free Trade Association (EFTA)

Directorate-General for the Environment

• Call for the submission of proposals from European non-governmental organisations primarily active in the field of environmental protection
• Call for Proposals LIFE+ 2013
• Call for proposals - New Knowledge for an integrated management of human activity in the sea
• Call for proposals – European non-governmental organisations primarily active in the field of environmental protection
• Call for Proposals LIFE+ 2012