Nature Governance and Information

Objective

To contribute to the protection of nature and biodiversity by: raising awareness of the benefits of nature conservation, supporting compliance assurance, enabling public participation and access to justice (Aarhus Convention), and supporting the replication and upscaling of proven solutions.

Sub-topics that can be funded

Projects cover one or more of:

1. Behavioural change and awareness-raising initiatives — public awareness on nature and biodiversity conservation, communication and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders, broader stakeholder involvement (including NGOs) in policy. Priority is given to projects improving awareness of the Natura 2000 network.
2. Compliance assurance, public participation and access to justice (Aarhus Convention) — supporting effective public participation and access to justice in nature and biodiversity matters, building cross-border or national networks of compliance assurance practitioners, and improving professional qualifications.
3. Enabling actions for the replication and upscaling of proven solutions — transferring already-tested nature and biodiversity solutions to new territories and operators.

What this means for cities and regions

The governance and information strand for nature work. Cities and regions can use it for citizen-engagement and awareness campaigns on local Natura 2000 sites, building stakeholder networks across protected areas, training municipal staff or local NGOs on biodiversity compliance, or scaling up successful nature-based municipal initiatives to other authorities. Per-project budget €1–2 million at 60% co-financing; around 5 projects funded in the 2026 call.