Guidelines for Applicants LIFE Integrated Projects 2020
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Guidelines for applicants LIFE Integrated Projects 2020 Environment and Climate Action sub-programmes Dear applicants, taking into account the impact of the outbreak of Covid-19 on our society, we understand that the preparation of your application for the 2020 call for proposals might prove to be more challenging this year. Therefore, we have decided to grant you more time than usual to prepare and submit your concept note. Please note that the application deadlines mentioned in this document take into account this additional extension. We trust that the additional time will help you establish your project consortium and gather all the necessary information. Please note that, for the submission of concept notes, no administrative and/or physically signed declarations are requested, the submission is entirely electronic. We are looking forward to receiving your LIFE applications. *** The current guidelines apply to the preparation of proposals for Integrated Projects (in the areas of nature, water, waste, air under the sub-programme for environment; and climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation under the sub-programme for climate action) to be submitted to the Contracting Authority in 2020. They are intended to help the applicants to prepare the content of the project proposal. This document only applies to 2020 call for LIFE integrated project proposals under the sub-programme for environment and sub-programme for climate action. Separate guidance documents are available on the LIFE web page for other LIFE 2020 calls. The current guidelines are part of the call for proposals application package 2020 which also includes the following documents that should be carefully read before submitting a LIFE proposal: - Guide for the evaluation of LIFE Integrated Project proposals - Grant Agreement model for Integrated Projects *** For those familiar with the previous year call for proposals, the 2020 call has several relevant updates: - more time for applications; - electronic submission of concept note; - slightly increased overall budget per program; - update on Brexit; - increased financial support to third parties; - simplified project phases approach (see section 1.10.10); - updated references to legislation and policies; - clarification on complementary funding; - increased emphasis on the policy plan or strategy implementation; - updated financial instructions and simplified financial forms; - concept note technical form without coordinating beneficiary declaration and other minor updates in that form and full proposal technical form. 2 Table of contents TABLE OF ACRONYMS.................................................................................................. 4 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 5 1.1 What is LIFE? ....................................................................................................... 5 1.2 What are Integrated Projects? ................................................................................ 5 1.3 Scope of Integrated Projects for the period 2018-2020 ......................................... 7 1.4 Funding of Integrated Projects ............................................................................ 10 1.5 What is the application process for Integrated Projects? .................................... 17 1.6 Who may submit a Concept Note and/or a proposal for an Integrated Project? ............................................................................................................ 19 1.7 Who may participate in an Integrated Project? ................................................... 19 1.8 How, where and when to submit a proposal? ...................................................... 22 1.9 How will LIFE Integrated Projects be selected? ................................................. 24 1.10 Specific issues ................................................................................................... 24 1.11 Personal Data Protection Clause ....................................................................... 30 2. LIFE INTEGRATED PROJECTS ............................................................................ 32 2.1 What are LIFE Integrated Projects versus traditional LIFE projects? Which one to choose? ...................................................................................... 32 2.2 What type of actions can be included in Integrated Projects? ............................. 34 2.3 Areas of intervention of Integrated Projects ........................................................ 35 2.4. How to conceive a LIFE Integrated Project proposal? ...................................... 46 3. APPLICATION FORMS............................................................................................ 56 3.1 General remarks .................................................................................................. 56 3.2 STAGE 1: The Concept Note – CN forms .......................................................... 57 3.3 STAGE 2: The full proposal - Technical application forms ............................... 63 3.4 Financial application forms ................................................................................. 84 4. CHECKLIST ............................................................................................................... 95 ANNEX 1: Calendar of the evaluation and selection procedure for the LIFE 2020 Integrated Projects .................................................................................. 97 ANNEX 2: Important links ....................................................................................... 97 3 TABLE OF ACRONYMS Acronym Meaning AQP Air Quality Plan CN Concept Note EAFRD European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ESIF European Structural and Investment Funds ETS Emissions Trading System IP Integrated Project LULUCF Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry MAWP LIFE Multiannual Work Programme NCFF Natural Capital Financing Facility PAF Prioritised Action Framework PIC Participant Identification Code RBMP River Basin Management Plan RES Renewable Energy Sources SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment VAT Value Added Tax WMP Waste Management Plan WPP Waste Prevention Programme 4 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 What is LIFE? LIFE is the European Programme for the Environment and Climate Action, for the period from 1 January 2014 until 31 December 2020. The legal basis for LIFE is Regulation (EU) No 1293/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 20131 (hereinafter referred to as "the LIFE Regulation"). The LIFE Programme is structured in two sub-programmes: the sub-programme for environment and the sub-programme for climate action. The sub-programme for environment covers three priority areas: LIFE Environment and Resource Efficiency LIFE Nature and Biodiversity LIFE Environmental Governance and Information The thematic priorities for each priority area are further described in Annex III to the LIFE Regulation. The sub-programme for climate action covers three priority areas: LIFE Climate Change Mitigation LIFE Climate Change Adaptation LIFE Climate Governance and Information The overall financial envelope for the implementation of the LIFE Programme is EUR 3.457 Billion, 75% of which is allocated to the sub-programme for environment (EUR 2,592,491,250) and 25% of which is allocated to the sub-programme for climate action (EUR 864,163,750). According to Article 17(4) of the LIFE Regulation, at least 81% of the total budget shall be allocated to projects supported by way of action grants or, where appropriate, financial instruments. The second LIFE Multiannual Work Programme (MAWP) covering the period 2018-2020 foresees a budget of EUR 1 243,81 million for the sub-programme for environment and EUR 413,25 million for the sub-programme for climate action2. During the 2014-2020 period, the Contracting Authority will launch one call for LIFE project proposals per year. 1.2 What are Integrated Projects? Definition Integrated Projects (hereinafter 'IPs') are defined in Article 2 of the LIFE Regulation and are further specified in the MAWP: IPs are projects implementing on a large territorial scale, in particular, regional3, multi- regional, national or trans-national scale, environmental or climate plans or 1 Regulation (EU) No 1293/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013, published in the Official Journal L 347/185 of 20 December 2013 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:347:0185:0208:EN:PDF 2 Contracting Authority Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/210 of 12 February 2018 on the adoption of the LIFE multiannual work programme for 2018-2020 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018D0210&from=EN 3 Implementation at local level for the case of local air quality plans is an exception, please see section 2.1 5 strategies required by specific Union environmental or climate legislation, developed pursuant to other Union acts or developed by Member States' authorities, while ensuring involvement of stakeholders and promoting the coordination with and mobilisation of at least one other relevant Union, national or private funding source. For both sub-programmes, the LIFE MAWP for 2018-2020 defines for each of the areas nature, water, air, waste, climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation the specific related plans under EU legislation, which are to be implemented