EU to Support 133 Projects Under LIFE Programme, Two of Them Concern Slovakia

Brussels, October 21 (TASR-correspondent) - The European Commission (EC) on Monday announced that it has approved provision of over €380 million for 133 new projects across Europe under the LIFE programme for the environment and climate action, including two projects concerning Slovakia, TASR has learnt from its Brussels correspondent. The Commission specified that the allocated sum makes up more than a half of the total investment need for these projects amounting to €574 million. The rest will come from national, regional and local governments, public-private partnerships, companies and NGOs. The approved 133 projects have been selected from more than 653 applications. In Slovakia, the European Commission supported the project of comprehensive restoration of habitats of the Danube floodplains and support for resistance to invasive plant species. It has allocated €4.331 million for the project totalling €6.465 million. The Commission specified that invasive species are a major threat to native plants and habitats and, therefore drones, satellites and DNA analysis will be deployed to detect and eliminate invasive non-native species in the Danube River basin in Slovakia and Hungary. The project should restore 120 hectares of wetlands and 20 hectares of floodplain forests, while natural pastures will be resumed on an area of ​​720 hectares. The second project involving Slovakia, DIVERSEED, is a seven-year project worth €6.579 million and the EC will allocate €4.934 million for it. The project concerns the restoration of grass habitats in Slovakia and Romania. The project brings innovative mapping and restoration techniques and will focus on ten biotopes in 33 locations of the European importance, of which 30 are situated in Slovakia and three in Romania. LIFE projects contribute to the achievement of a wide range of European Green Deal objectives in the fields of climate, energy and environment, including the EU's goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050 and halting and reversing the loss of biodiversity by 2030. ko/mcs