20 years of LIFE: Italian ministries highlight transferability of results

Representatives of the Italian National Focal Point – NFP (Ministry of Environment), the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the LIFE Unit met in Rome recently, for a national workshop highlighting the importance of the LIFE programme in Italy over the past 20 years; and discussing the links between LIFE+ and the National Rural Development Network.

Organised as part of the EU-wide ‘LIFE 20th anniversary’ events, the workshop, held in Rome on 28 June, included the presentation of a new study, “LIFE+ e la Rete Rurale Nazionale” (LIFE+ and the national rural development network) highlighting the importance of LIFE co-funded projects in promoting the rural development network and of guaranteeing the transferability of their results.

Opening the workshop, Mariano Grillo, Director General for Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Energy (Ministry of Environment) said the study also showed some interesting synergies with agricultural policies. He congratulated the Italian national (and regional) focal points saying that over the years, their role had not only been administrative, but had also been influential in bringing projects/ beneficiaries together and putting them in contact with public administrations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) universities etc – playing an important role in helping to guarantee transferability and opportunities of replication of results.

Giuliana Gasparrini (National Focal Point) highlighted the importance of the LIFE programme in Italy: Since 1992, 602 projects have received EU co-funding of €387 million, generating another €890 million, she said, adding that the projects will do their best to continue to transfer their project results. 
The workshop focused in particular on nine ‘representative’ Italian LIFE projects (see list) selected as examples of transferable results and opportunities for continuation through the Rural Development Fund.