“Environment and Resource Efficiency” is a priority area of the Environment sub-programme. Its priority task is the support and consolidation of project ideas that contribute at local, regional, national and/or transnational levels to implementing environmental objectives and to increase resource efficiency.

The key objectives of the “Environment and Resource Efficiency” area are especially the following:

• developing, testing and demonstrating policy or management approaches, best practices and solutions to environmental challenges

supporting of resource efficiency-related policy and legislation, including the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe. improving the knowledge base for the development, implementation, assessment, monitoring and evaluation of Union environmental policy and legislation, and for the assessment and monitoring of the factors, pressures and responses that impact on the environment within and outside the Union.

The “Environment and Resource Efficiency” area supports innovative solutions that are related to one of the topics below:

• water, including marine environment;
• waste;
• resource efficiency, including soil and forests as well as the green and the circular economy;
• environment and health, including chemicals and noise;
• air quality and emission, including the urban environment.

Thematic priorities concerning water and the marine environment: activities for the implementation of the specific objectives for water set out in the Roadmap for a Resource-Efficient Europe and the 7th Environment Action Programme, in particular::

• integrated approaches for the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive;
• Floods Directive;
• Marine Strategy Framework Directive;
• activities to ensure safe and efficient use of water resources, improving quantitative water management, preserving a high level of water quality and avoiding misuse and deterioration of water resources..

Thematic priorities concerning waste: activities for the implementation of the specific objectives for waste set out in the Roadmap for a Resource-Efficient Europe and the 7th Environment Action Programme, in particular::

• the implementation and development of Union waste legislation, with particular emphasis on the first steps of the Union waste hierarchy (prevention, re-use and recycling);

resource efficiency and lifecycle impact of products, consumption patterns and dematerialisation of the economy.

Thematic priorities concerning resource efficiency, including soil and forests as well as green and circular economies: activities for the implementation of the Roadmap for a Resource-Efficient Europe and of the 7th Environment Action Programme that are not covered by other thematic priorities referred to in this Annex, in particular:

• industrial symbiosis and knowledge transfer, and development of new models for the shift towards a circular and green economy;
• Soil Thematic Strategy (Commission Communication of 22 September 2006 entitled "Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection") with special emphasis on mitigation and compensation of soil sealing, and improved land use;

forest monitoring and information systems, and to prevent forest fires.

Thematic priorities concerning health and environment, including chemicals and noise: activities for the implementation of the specific objectives for environment and health set out in the 7th Environment Action Programme, in particular::

• Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH);
• Environmental Noise Directive;

Seveso III Directive.

Thematic priorities concerning air quality and emissions, including the urban environment: activities for the implementation of the specific objectives for air and emissions in the Roadmap for a Resource-Efficient Europe and the 7th Environment Action Programme, in particular:

• integrated approaches to the implementation of Air quality legislation;
• facilitate compliance with Union air quality and related air emissions standards including the National Emissions Ceilings Directive;

enhanced implementation of the Industrial Emissions Directive25, with a special emphasis on improving BAT definition and implementation process, ensuring easy public access to information and enhancing the contribution of the IED to innovation.

Any “traditional” LIFE proposal related to the theme referenced above, that:

• is a pilot or
• demonstration project.

Project awarded the “Best of the Best” LIFE Environment Project title in 2008:

RETOXMET - Removal of toxic heavy metals from waste water by special yeast produced by bioconversion on food byproducts - an integrated solution for wastewater treatment (Coordinator: TIARA Rt.)

Project awarded the “Best” LIFE Environment Project title in 2013:

MEDAPHON - Monitoring Soil Biological Activity by using a novel tool: EDAPHOLOG-System - system building and field testing (Coordinator: MTA ATK TAK)

http://www.medaphon.hu/