Moldova joins the LIFE programme for environment and climate

On Saturday in Chisinau, Moldova, EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Natalia Gavrilița, jointly signed an agreement on Moldova’s accession to the LIFE programme for environment and climate. Moldova is the third non-EU country to join the programme after Iceland and Ukraine. By joining the LIFE programme, Moldova can benefit from LIFE’s support for mobilising public and private resources for climate action, biodiversity protection, circular economy and clean energy transition.

Commissioner Sinkevičius said:

It’s my great pleasure to welcome Moldova to the EU LIFE family. It’s a clear sign that Moldova takes the threats of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution seriously, and is determined to turn these threats into opportunities. The EU LIFE Programme is there to help us stay on the green path - cutting dependencies, cutting pollution, improving our health and preparing our economies for the future. It’s also an opportunity for the people of Moldova, for private and civil society organisations to receive support for their action on climate, biodiversity protection, circular economy and clean energy transition.

LIFE projects can aim to:

• Develop and demonstrate eco-innovative techniques and approaches
• Promote best practices and behavioural changes
• Support the development, monitoring and enforcement of laws similar to the ones in EU as well as plans and strategies that can contribute to implement these laws
• Catalyse the large-scale deployment of successful solutions

Next steps

Moldovan applicants can submit proposals under the LIFE calls for proposals to be launched in 2023. In order for a project to receive funding, Moldova first needs to ratify the association agreement.

Background

The LIFE programme is the EU's funding instrument for the environment and climate action running since 1992. It has co-financed more than 5,800 projects across the EU and beyond and has a funding of €5.4 billion. It occupies a niche between EU programmes for research and innovation and large-scale financing programmes. As such, LIFE bridges the gap between research and policy implementation, addressing the external factors related to environmental and climate innovations by testing and demonstrating practical solutions. The new LIFE Programme 2021-2027 allows non-European countries to join the program through bilaterally negotiated association agreements.