Science and policy interface: the LIFE programme and its links to the EU Water Framework Directive

The role of the European Commission's funding mechanism for the environment, LIFE, is discussed with reference to the Water Framework Directive. LIFE Environment projects do not always originate with cutting edge science, but aim to show how innovations work at a demonstration scale. LIFE projects tend not to give policy makers exactly what they want, when they want it, because they usually deal with many variables simultaneously and are often driven by operational rather than strategic needs. They also tend to be regionally based, with a lower proportion of national and pan-European projects. However, LIFE has developed workable solutions, which can feed into policy development, often by establishing best practice or guidelines complimentary to those produced within the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) of the WFD. There is the potential to link LIFE-demonstration projects, research projects and CIS outputs for the benefit of policy makers and others.