European Commission Scraps LIFE Programme, Cuts Climate And Biodiversity Funding In 2028-2034 Budget

The European Commission’s proposed European Union budget for the 2028-2034 period would scrap the LIFE programme, the EU’s only autonomous financing mechanism for environmental action, and reduce overall funding for climate and biodiversity objectives.

“Dispatches from the Social editorial desk (locked) All Social news Employment Human Resources Professional training Social protection Public sector Pension reform HR jurisprudence Apprenticeships and continuing education CFA Weekly Education, Higher Education and Research (locked) All Education, Higher Education and Research news School education Higher education Higher education programs Research and Innovation Higher education and research data Higher education and research in transition Housing and Territories (locked) All Housing and Territories news Housing Urban planning Territorial transitions Ecological transition (locked) All Ecological Transition news Environment CSR data Engagement Security (locked) All Security news Public security Private security Other useful links Subscription offer Try for free Help Center Contact us Tools and resources Law summaries Case law Data Data information Podcasts The Grand Oral AEF info x Fnege The Laboratories of the Transition Archives - All podcasts Reserved for subscribers By Claire Stam With her presentation, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, of the proposal for the seventh multiannual financial framework which sets the EU budget and the main priorities for a seven-year period (2028–2034), the European Commission proposes a major shift in direction: away with the priority… By Claire Stam Distributed via news wires Environment Related sections Agriculture - Fishing Biodiversity Climate change Energy Environment Public authorities Welcome to AEF info, a media outlet of Before continuing your navigation on this site, we invite you to choose the features you would like to enable or not”

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Ursula von der Leyen told journalists on Wednesday, July 16 that the new multiannual financial framework would have a climate and biodiversity spending target of 35%, which she said amounts to about 700 billion euros.

Climate Home News

The Commission also says the 2 trillion euros over seven years would support the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 and curb biodiversity loss, while the current plan allocates €658 billion to climate and €113 billion to biodiversity.

Under the proposal, climate and environmental funds from 2028 would be split into a “clean transition and industrial decarbonization” component within the Competitiveness Fund (FEC) of €410 billion and around €1,000 billion for priorities such as the economy, rural prosperity or security.

Jessika Roswall said, “Our proposal for the next CFP shows that we remain firmly attached to environmental priorities,” as she described water, circularity, nature and the bioeconomy as occupying an important place in the new fund for competitiveness and in national plans.

Environmental groups and lawmakers accuse the European Commission of lowering the priority given to environmental action and warn that civil society could be excluded from the policy-making process.

Patrick ten Brink, secretary-general of the European Environmental Bureau, said the disappearance of the LIFE programme as it would be in the new CFP is “not a simplification, it's sabotage,” adding that the LIFE programme “yields targeted and cost-effective results for nature, climate and public health.”

Euractiv

Ester Asin, director of WWF’s European office, warned that the 35% objective could be “nothing more than a façade,” saying that grouping all environmental expenditures under a single objective risks biodiversity being sidelined for industrial priorities.

In parallel, POLITICO reported that the restoration of biodiversity would no longer have a dedicated fund in the EU budget proposed by Brussels, and that biodiversity objectives would compete with other EU environmental objectives.

Anouk Puymartin of BirdLife Europe said, “This is a devastating blow to nature in Europe and its citizens,” warning that biodiversity “loses its place in the EU budget without specific funding or a clear priority.”

The Commission’s budgetary reorganization would merge LIFE funding with other programmes, and POLITICO says the LIFE programme is endowed with €5.45 billion and would be merged with other funds devoted to digital and defense to form a €409 billion pot for competitiveness.

“With its proposed European Union budget for the 2028-2034 period, green groups and lawmakers accuse the European Commission of lowering the priority given to environmental action and warn that civil society could be excluded from the policy-making process”

Euractiv

POLITICO also reports that the EU already faces an annual biodiversity protection funding shortfall estimated at €37 billion, and that the new budget structure contains no biodiversity target and no fund specifically allocated to water resilience.

Rasmus Nordqvist, a Green MEP and one of the CFP negotiators in the Parliament’s Budget Committee (BUDG), lamented that it is “irresponsible and imprudent to propose ending the LIFE programme and eliminating biodiversity funding.”

Euractiv adds that the scrapping of the LIFE programme poses an existential threat to many environmental NGOs that currently receive 15 million euros in direct subsidies to cover part of their operating costs.

Euractiv reports that the Commission says support could in the future be provided through national programmes, but warned that it is not yet known how the funds will be allocated or whether advocacy groups will be able to meet unspecified criteria related to competitiveness or national policy objectives.