During EU Green Week – Europe’s biggest environmental event – the LIFE programme announced the winners of the 2018 LIFE Awards. The three winners come from Italy (Nature category), Spain (Environment category), and Greece (Climate Action category).

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The winning projects were chosen for their contribution to environmental, economic and social improvements, paying special attention to their innovation, replicability, relevance to policy and cost effectiveness.

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LIFE Award for Nature:

LIFE WOLFALPS (Italy) – coordinated conservation actions in the Alpine regions of France, Italy and Slovenia. Minimising conflict with people has helped increase the number of wolf packs and the species' range.

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LIFE Award for Environment:

LIFEAGROINTEGRA (Spain) – showed that integrated pest management is a viable alternative to chemical pesticides on farms. Pesticide use was almost halved in pilot areas where farmers turned to natural predators, cover crops and other methods instead.

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LIFE Award for Climate Action:

oLIVE-CLIMA (Greece) – worked closely with farmers in Greece to boost the net ecosystem carbon balance through sustainable farming techniques that are adapted to climate change. Aspects of the country's rural development programme have been revised to take the project's lessons into account.

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Source: European Commission.