North Macedonia joins the LIFE programme for environment and climate

Today, in Brussels, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius and the Minister of Environment and Physical Planning of the Republic of North Macedonia, Kaja Sukova, jointly signed an agreement on North Macedonia’s accession to the LIFE programme for environment and climate. North Macedonia is the fourth non-EU country to join the programme after Iceland, Ukraine and Moldova. By joining the LIFE programme in 2023, North Macedonia will have the opportunity to 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:

The association of North Macedonia to LIFE is an opportunity to strengthen our joint action to tackle climate change, address pollution, boost the energy transition, achieve a circular economy, and protect and restore biodiversity. Closer cooperation will benefit citizens, businesses, and civil society in North Macedonia, and contribute to a greener, more sustainable continent in line with the European Green Deal objectives.

Public and private organisations from North Macedonia will be able to receive financial support for projects on environment and climate action, e.g. to pursue energy efficiency, clean polluted areas, improve the management of water resources, and step up the protection of biodiversity in harmony with a circular and net-zero emission economy.

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

Applicants from North Macedonia can submit proposals under the LIFE calls for proposals launched in 2023.

Background

The LIFE programme is the EU's funding instrument for the environment and climate action running since 1992. It has co-financed around 6000 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.