The impact of LIFE Strategic Projects remains unclear, according to a new report by the European Court of Auditors. While the projects are designed to support Member States in implementing environmental and climate strategies, weaknesses in prioritisation, monitoring and funding assessment prevent a clear evaluation of their overall contribution.
Why the impact of LIFE Strategic Projects cannot be clearly assessed
It is not clear to what extent LIFE Strategic Projects have effectively contributed to environmental protection and climate action in Europe, according to the latest audit.
The report highlights three main concerns:
- projects do not always prioritise the most pressing environmental and climate needs of Member States
- it is not possible to determine with certainty the scale of additional funding mobilised
- insufficient monitoring mechanisms hinder a clear assessment of overall impact
What LIFE Strategic Projects are
The LIFE Programme was launched in 1992 to address environmental and climate challenges across the European Union, including air and water pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change.
In 2014, the European Commission introduced Integrated LIFE Projects. In 2021, it added LIFE Strategic Projects, financed under the LIFE Programme framework. Their objective is to support Member States in implementing environmental and climate strategies and plans, helping to bridge the gap between strategy and implementation.
These projects are intended to engage key stakeholders, often alongside direct beneficiaries, and mobilise additional sources of funding.
To date, the LIFE Programme has co-financed more than 5,000 projects, all aimed at achieving the climate, energy and environmental objectives of the European Green Deal. In October 2024, the Commission allocated €380 million to 133 new projects.
The LIFE Programme for Environment and Climate Action 2021–2027, with a budget of €5.4 billion, is structured around four sub-programmes:
- nature and biodiversity
- circular economy and quality of life
- climate change mitigation and adaptation
- clean energy transition
Overall, 25% of the EU budget and 61% of the new LIFE financial allocation are expected to support climate-related projects.
The new assessment by the European Court of Auditors
Twelve years ago, the Court published its first report on the LIFE Programme. This new review aims to improve understanding of project outcomes. Auditors examined 22 of the 95 LIFE Strategic Projects funded up to April 2025.
“LIFE Strategic Projects provide valuable support by fostering stakeholder cooperation and attracting additional funding,” said Joëlle Elvinger, the Member of the European Court of Auditors responsible for the audit. “At the same time, weaknesses remain in prioritising needs, monitoring progress and sharing results. In addition, long-term effects and lasting benefits are often unclear.”
Environment and climate: monitoring gaps limit evaluation
LIFE Strategic Projects are required to mobilise additional funding from at least one other private, national or EU source. Although all 22 projects reviewed had secured such funding, the Court found that unclear guidance on what qualifies as “mobilised funding” and the absence of systematic Commission monitoring make it impossible to determine how these funds contribute to strategy implementation.
There is also no standard methodology to properly track additional financing, preventing an accurate estimate of the volume of public or private investment attracted.
Auditors further concluded that projects do not always address the most urgent environmental or climate needs of Member States, limiting their potential benefits. The report notes that good practices and lessons learned are rarely shared on EU-level platforms, reducing opportunities for replication.
There is also a risk that post-LIFE plans may fail to ensure the long-term sustainability of results once programme funding ends. The effectiveness of these plans is further weakened by the lack of specific guidance on their content.
Finally, the Court states that it is not possible to adequately assess LIFE Strategic Projects against their core objectives. Monitoring mechanisms are not uniform, and without a coherent monitoring framework, overall performance and contribution to EU environmental and climate goals cannot be properly judged.
