Posted on June, 22 2026
Tomorrow, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee is expected to adopt its opinion on the proposed National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs), a key component of the EU’s next long-term budget (MFF).
MEP negotiators are set to safeguard funding for the LIFE programme, and tighten rules to ensure the NRPPs deliver for nature and climate. WWF has long called for LIFE to be maintained and for the MFF to include dedicated spending targets on nature and climate.
Why does this matter?
Responsible EU spending & climate and biodiversity action
The compromise on the table strengthens safeguards to ensure that NRPPs contribute effectively to environmental and climate objectives. Additionally, it reinforces the “Do no significant harm” principle and explicitly excludes fossil fuel funding.
The text also requires Member States to meet targets for climate, environment and biodiversity when preparing their national plans. This reflects previous Parliament positions and pushes back against the Commission’s proposal to drop a dedicated target for nature.
Carl Richter, EU Budget and Public Finance Policy Officer at WWF EU, said:
“By strengthening the ‘Do no significant harm’ principle, Parliament would send a clear message: cutting red tape must not weaken environmental safeguards. At the same time, MEPs would draw a red line: without a dedicated biodiversity spending target, there is no guarantee that nature will get the investment it urgently needs.”
Support for dedicated funding for LIFE
The committee is also expected to call for dedicated funding for LIFE, proposing €3.56 billion under the EU Facility, in addition to the €3.39 billion foreseen in the European Competitiveness Fund. Together, this would keep LIFE funding at current levels.
MEPs aim to protect LIFE’s full scope by keeping all currently eligible activities and removing limits on cross-border projects, so that locally-led projects can continue to deliver tangible results on the ground. The committee is also expected to affirm LIFE’s key role in implementing EU environmental law, including on nature and biodiversity.
“Support for the LIFE programme remains unwavering across political groups. MEPs are united in recognising that weakening one of the EU’s most effective tools for delivering tangible results for the environment, local communities and businesses is not an option. Now Parliament must ensure this commitment is fully reflected in its final position on the NRPP proposal, to secure a clear, stable and long-term funding framework for LIFE,” said Beate Aikens, Senior Advocacy Officer at WWF EU.
Next steps on the budget & what WWF is looking out for
The Environment committee’s opinion will feed into negotiations in the lead committees (Budget, Agriculture and Regional Development). Parliament is expected to adopt its final position before the end of the year, followed by negotiations with the Council.
Member States agreed a preliminary position on 16 June, excluding politically sensitive elements such as budget allocations. While this improves the scope of LIFE actions, it does not include dedicated funding, which will be decided by the European Council.
WWF will continue to advocate for strong environmental safeguards, robust climate and biodiversity spending targets, and a stable and well-defined future for the LIFE programme in the EU budget.
