• If you are an ongoing LIFE project, you should contact the External Monitoring Team for your country.
• If you are preparing an application for a LIFE project, you should first read carefully the related application package. If you have a question/problem related exclusively to IT, please contact the IT help desk (env-clima-life-helpdesk@ec.europa.eu).
• All other questions about LIFE should be addressed by reading the documents included in the application package and, in case of need, by contacting the LIFE National Contact Point or writing to easme-life@ec.europa.eu
• If you have any other questions, contact your National Contact Point.
• If you are preparing an application for an NGO operating grant, you should first read carefully the NGO application package. If you still have a question, or if you have an ongoing NGO operating grant, you should contact EASME (easme-life-ngo@ec.europa.eu).
• In other cases, please read the text below and contact the relevant entity.

Overview:

The European Commission has overall responsibility for the LIFE programme, and up until 2013 carried out all the related management tasks. From 2014 onwards, the Executive Agency for SMEs (EASME) will progressively take over a large part of these management tasks. Both the Commission and EASME are assisted by an external monitoring and communication team. Within each Member State, there is a LIFE national contact point (NCPs). The European Investment Bank (EIB) manages the two new financial instruments.

The European Commission

Within DG Environment, the LIFE Programme Unit (DG ENV D4) is responsible for LIFE projects related to nature and biodiversity and all other policy areas covered by the LIFE sub-programme for the environment (air, water, soil, waste etc …) .

DG Climate Action (DG CLIMA)

DG Climate Action (DG CLIMA) has overall responsibility for the LIFE sub-programme for climate action.

The Executive Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises (EASME)

EASME, and in particular the LIFE and CIP Eco-innovation Unit (EASME B3) is responsible for managing the calls for proposals from 2015 onwards. It will manage the traditional projects (action grants) financed by the calls for proposals from 2014 onwards (ie LIFE Nature & Biodiversity, LIFE Environment & Resource Efficiency, LIFE Environmental Governance & Information, LIFE Climate Change Mitigation, LIFE Climate Change Adaptation and LIFE Climate Governance & Information projects). It will also manage capacity building projects as well as NGO operating grants

European Investment Bank (EIB)

The EIB manages the two new financial instruments on behalf of DG Environment and DG Climate Action, ie the "Natural Capital Financial Facility" under both LIFE sub-programmes and the "Private Financing for Energy Efficiency" under LIFE Climate Action.

The External Monitoring and Communication teams

An external contractor provides monitoring and communication services to the Commission and EASME. The monitoring team closely monitors each ongoing LIFE project, and is the interface between the LIFE projects and the Commission/EASME. The communication team supports the Commission and EASME for all communication activities related to the LIFE programme and its projects (web-site, brochures, …).

National Contact Points

Each EU Member State has a LIFE National Contact Point that is responsible for the LIFE programme at national level. Amongst others, they provide assistance to applicants for LIFE projects.