SmartBirds
Picture: Svetoslav Spasov BSPB
On 16 July 2025, the European Commission will present its first proposal for the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) beyond 2027. This will be a key moment for setting the Union’s priorities for the next decade – including whether nature will remain among them. One of the most threatened initiatives is the LIFE programme – the EU’s only dedicated funding instrument for environmental and climate-related projects.
Our partners at BirdLife Europe and Central Asia – a network of nature conservation organisations from 44 countries, including all EU Member States – have reported that recently leaked information suggests the LIFE programme could be discontinued after 2028. Such a decision would undermine decades of progress and international cooperation in nature conservation.
“Since Bulgaria’s accession to the EU in 2007, thanks to targeted funding from the LIFE programme, numerous major achievements have been made for Bulgarian nature. These include the recovery of populations of several critically endangered species such as the Eastern imperial eagle, the Egyptian vulture, and the lesser spotted eagle. These successes are of great importance not only for Bulgaria but for all of Europe and the world,” commented Vanya Ratarova, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds.
The LIFE programme is one of the EU’s most effective tools, delivering real results and fostering cooperation between farmers, private companies, research institutes, NGOs and public authorities. Nearly 2,000 scientists from across Europe have already signed an open letter in defence of LIFE, calling for its continuation and expansion under a centrally managed structure to ensure strategic focus, real impact and accountability.
At the same time, the new MFF proposal is expected to introduce a more flexible, results-oriented budget model, inspired by the Recovery and Resilience Facility, with fewer instruments and greater emphasis on national planning and outcomes. While this may deliver short-term, local objectives, nature conservation requires long-term, comprehensive solutions to address major crises at European and global levels.
To ensure that nature and people’s well-being are not left behind in the next EU budget, several core safeguards are needed:
1. Dedicated funding for biodiversity
Clear priorities and a guaranteed budget are essential for ecosystem restoration, climate adaptation, and long-term resilience. A study in Belgium shows that every €1 invested in nature brings between €8 and €51 in return to society.
2. Safeguarding and expanding LIFE
LIFE must remain a centrally managed programme to maintain its strategic role and effectiveness. The biodiversity and climate crises demand cross-border, coordinated action.
3. Ending harmful subsidies
Between €34 and €48 billion annually is still directed towards environmentally damaging practices – especially in agriculture and fisheries. Over 30% of the current EU budget goes to agricultural subsidies, most of which benefit large producers. Funding must be redirected towards sustainable practices and livelihoods that protect both people and nature.
The upcoming reform of the EU budget could either solidify nature as a strategic priority or quietly push it to the margins. Despite the growing impact of climate change across Europe, biodiversity remains absent from the political agenda. Yet a healthy natural environment is Europe’s strongest ally in tackling and adapting to climate change.
