The European Union invests on environmental projects
Italy among the beneficiaries on the new funds
The European Commission has given out 63,8 million Euros to finance new environmental initiatives, framed within the LIFE Programme.
The funds were conceived in order to implement the environmental legislation at the local level, primarily touching the European state members and regions. In particular, the beneficiaries are Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the United Kingdom.
LIFE projects will help the targeted countries to respect the European regulation in four main fields, i.e. nature, water, air and waste.
With regard to Italy, the region of Lombardy will receive 17,3 million Euros in favour of biodiversity. The core goals highlighted are the conservation of Habitats and Birds, the training of specialized personnel, raising public awareness and tackling invasive alien species. This money will be integrated by other funds (such as EAFRD and ERDF's ones) with the common purpose of environmental protection. Interventions will be carried out on the areas of Natura 2000, a network of specific sites, created by the European Union (EU), aimed at safeguarding habitats and particular animal and vegetable species.
Karmenu Vella - EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries - has enthusiastically commented on the programme, defining it as an example of a "EU's investment for the quality of life of its citizens". In fact, several matters liked to public health and pollution need to be faced by this kind of projects. Furthermore, the Commissioner stressed, these projects have to be integrated and to work on "shared goals".
Together with the one in Lombardy, the funds devoted to Finland and Belgium will help preserving the environment on a wider scale. Furthermore, the projects financed by the EU will foster the coordinated use of 393 million Euros of complementary resources, having a total amount of 393 million Euros.
Finally, the integrated projects in Germany and the UK will boost the implementation of the management plans of hydrographic basins, while the intervention in Poland will improve the air quality.
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