- The aid, charged to different European funds, will be channelled through four calls for subsidies, which will be published in the coming days
- Local administrations, non-profit entities and organizations, research organizations and professional organizations and associations may apply.
The Third Vice-President and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, today chaired the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Biodiversity Foundation, in which more than 73 million euros in aid were approved to promote the bioeconomy, research in the marine environment, the sustainability of fishing and aquaculture activity and green employment for the ecological transition.
The aid, from different European funds, will be channelled through four calls for subsidies managed by the Biodiversity Foundation, which functions as an intermediate management body for several structural funds, such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).
These grants are an example of the commitment to the sustainability of economic, forestry and fishing activities, and to their compatibility with the conservation of the ecosystems on which life on the planet depends, our health and well-being. To this end, it is necessary to promote sustainable activities, provide the market with the job profiles necessary for the ecological transition and support science and research for the search for nature-based solutions.
FOUR NEW CALLS FOR GRANTS
Of the more than 73 million in aid, a total of 39.6 million will promote the bioeconomy through projects of a maximum duration of three years that promote sustainable uses of the territory, the diversification of forest uses, the agroecological transition and the creation of opportunities that contribute to the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity in rural environments. Local administrations, non-profit entities and organizations, research organizations and professional organizations and associations may apply for this call for subsidies, co-financed with ERDF funds. The grants give continuity to the support that the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has given in recent years to this important sector, through which challenges such as demographic and fire prevention are addressed. In 2021 and 2023, calls were approved to promote the bioeconomy and the forest bioeconomy, totalling 91 million and have allowed the implementation of 70 projects throughout the national territory.
Also with ERDF funds, a call for subsidies endowed with 6 million euros has been approved for research projects for the conservation and restoration of the marine environment of up to three years’ duration. The objective is to improve scientific knowledge about marine biodiversity and the pressures and threats that affect it, in order to contribute to promoting the effective declaration, management and monitoring of protected areas, as well as the improvement of the conservation status of species and habitats, and their effective restoration. Universities, scientific bodies, technology centres or non-profit organisations can apply individually or in a group of several entities for these grants.
Also in relation to marine ecosystems, 14.5 million euros in aid have been approved to strengthen the environmental sustainability of fishing and aquaculture activities, improve the management of the marine Natura 2000 Network, reduce marine pollution and promote awareness in the sector and society. The subsidies will be awarded through a new call for the Pleamar Programme, which is co-financed by the FEMPA and whose previous call, resolved in 2024, is already supporting 43 projects in which 54 entities participate.
Another important line of aid will dedicate 13.2 million euros to the education and training of unemployed or working people to provide them with the necessary job skills for employment and entrepreneurship in sectors linked to the ecological transition. The grants are part of the Empleaverde+ Programme, co-financed by the ESF+ and which in 2024 published a first call for grants for a total of 29.4 million, thanks to which 64 training projects are being implemented. In this new call, special reference will be made to the threats associated with the impacts and risks derived from climate change and the loss of biodiversity, such as the Isolated High Level Depression (DANA) or forest fires. The training projects prioritise sources of employment identified as key to the ecological transition and that will have a high demand for employment in the coming years, in sectors such as the energy rehabilitation of buildings, electric mobility, renewable energy production, ecological restoration and management of natural heritage or the circular economy.
After their approval by the Board of Trustees of the Biodiversity Foundation, the calls will soon be published in the Official State Gazette (BOE), setting the maximum deadlines for the submission of candidacies for all interested entities.
