Inauguration of the LIFE integrated projects in Europe

During the official meeting in Brussels on 26 January has been presented the first 6 LIFE integrated projects in  Europe. The European Commission has selected for funding three projects for the protection of natural areas NATURA 2000 in Italy, Belgium and Finland. Two projects were aimed at implementation of management plans for the river basin in the UK and in the Germany, and a project to improve air quality coordinated by the Małopolska Region. The meeting was led by Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director-General for Environment is the European Commission, and it was attended by Jacek Krupa, Marshal of the Malopolska Region.

LIFE integrated project is a new instrument of the European Union serving the implementation of relevant strategies to improve the quality of the environment, which involve the most important institutions and partners in order to achieve the objective.

The LIFE project “Implementation of the Air Quality Plan for Małopolska Region – Małopolska in a healthy atmosphere” involves 45 partners, including 38 municipalities of Malopolska, Krakow Energy Conservation Agency (KAPE), Energy Savings Company (ESCO), Association Krakow Smog Alert, VITO Institute from Belgium, the Czech Ministry of the Environment, Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. The project cost is 17 million euro.

European Commission – Press release

The Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Krakow announces the preliminary call for proposals under the priority program “Improvement of energy efficiency. Part 4b) Ryś – thermo-modernization of single-family buildings through provincial funds for environmental protection and water management”. Deadline for submitting applications – 01.02.2016 until 3.00 pm (according to the date of receipt at the seat of the Fund).

The call is a preliminary element of the preparation of the application for the co-financing of the planned tasks from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. The submission of this proposal is not conclusive with the accession to the RYŚ Program by the WFOŚiGW in Krakow. Taking up actions in this respect is conditioned by the positive consideration of the application for co-financing by the National and Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. These activities are informative and introductory in view of the willingness to obtain information about the beneficiaries’ interest in participating in the aforementioned program.

Beneficiaries of the program may be natural persons, local self-government entities and non-governmental organizations (including foundations, associations, churches, religious associations), having ownership rights to a single-family residential building. A single-family residential building is to be construed as a stand-alone building or semi-detached, multi-family or complex development being a self-contained unit intended for residential use in at least half of the total area.

On 15 January 2016 Małopolska Regional Parliament adopted a resolution prohibiting the use of solid fuels in Kraków. Resolution covers the area of the Kraków city and prohibits burning coal and wood in boilers, stoves and fireplaces from 1 September 2019. Using only gaseous fuels, oil, renewable energy sources and district heating will be allowed.

The vast majority of citizens in Krakow participating in the public consultation have supported the introduction of the resolution. Comments and conclusions reported almost 4.8 thousand individuals, organizations and institutions and over 96% of them supported a complete ban on the use of solid fuels in Krakow. Krakow has become the first city in Poland, which was covered by these rules.

The content of the resolution (in Polish)