This course for EU fisheries monitoring centres’ operators on vessel tracking systems is a training manuscript. It can be used by EU Member States competent authorities and the European Commission for the training of their staff. The objective of this course is to provide an overview of the wide variety...

The monthl newsletter of LIFE

At a European policy level, the ‘EU Action for Smart Villages’ was officially launched in the European Parliament during the Spring of 2017 by the EU Commissioners for Agriculture (Phil Hogan), Regional Development (Corina Creţu) and Mobility (Violeta Bulc). It has received major support from the EU Parliament which promoted...

In the brave new world of fisheries control, all catch reporting to be electronic

Dutch dairy farmer Matté Eikelenboom explores crop diversification in his grazing land, to stimulate soil life and improve the health of his cows. His mixed pastures show promising results for the quality of his feed and the health of his animals. The variety of species also helps increase organic matter...

This new edition of the State of Mediterranean Forests aims to demonstrate the importance of Mediterranean forests to implementing solutions to tackle global issues such as climate change and population increase. The report is divided into five parts. After an introduction, the second part highlights the importance of Mediterranean forests...

The report is split both geographically and thematically. First it breaks down the different components of the CAP, introducing the history of the policy, it’s two-pillar system and it’s funding system. Then it delves into the nature and implications of the CAP on the ground, for even the same policy...

In the light of the vote on the Multiannual Plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea that will take place on the 10th of January 2019 at 9:00 in the PECH Committee,  LIFE writes to the Members of the European Parliament to outline the amendments that...

LIFE calls on MEPs to reject amendments 10, 19, and 39, which aim to expand the definition of small-scale fisheries and create an uneven playing field across Europe. Imperfect as it is given the great diversity of small-scale fleets, the simple definition – under 12 metres and not using towed fishing...

LIFE members from Snowchange Cooperative raise the alarm: ice melting is leading to the disappearance of the traditional seining fishery season. Back in the 1960s, the harvest could start in November and end in May, but fifty years after the season could be reduced to just a few weeks between February and March. This...

URGENCI, the CSA network and its national members from 12 European countries held an advocacy capacity building session in Brussels (May 14-16). CSA advocates had an unprecedented opportunity to share experience and to refine their key messages  

From the topics: AgriFish Council of 18 June, NRNs'Meeting in Bucharest, Annual fi-compass conference, open calls RDP and many more.

This episode is scheduled for the 8th of May 2019, 17.30 (Central European Summer Time). It will address the issue of the financial sustainability of CSA farms. 

The disruptive potential of upcoming digital technologies and automation is on everybody’s lips. We are being told that 37% of the EU population does not have basic digitization skills and is therefore in need of re-educating itself – not only in IT but also in automation. A 2017 Report by...

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are one of the leading initiatives for addressing the critical, complex and often inter-related issues of our world. SDG 14 — Life below water — focuses on our oceans, estuaries, rivers and watersheds, and the human systems that intersect with them. Unfortunately, it has struggled...

Molina de Aragón is located at the heart of the biggest European demographic desert. Re-named as ‘Serranía Celtibérica’, this desert unites rural territories from different Spanish provinces, such as Saragossa, Teruel, Cuenca, Soria or Guadalajara. Having an area double that of Belgium, this desert hosts only 487,417 inhabitants at a...

What is the state of play for rural Europe? Are rural places still lagging behind – forgotten, disadvantaged and in need of extra supports? Or is there a rural renaissance of sorts occurring, from smart villages to innovation hubs? Life is becoming increasingly unaffordable and, in many ways, unbearable in cities...

A one-week training course will be organised in the framework of the H2020 EU-funded project Social Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas (SIMRA) (www.simra-h2020.eu) at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (IAMZ-CIHEAM) on 18-22 November 2019 to address the importance of social innovation in less-favoured rural areas. Social innovation has been...

The SEMA II project on multifunctional agriculture gathers case studies and training material on how farmers can divserify their activities. It is accessible to everyone and the information is posted as video clips to make it more engaging.

Spring is in the air, and a seed is germinating and fighting to grow. On its own, it begins to make its way, breaking earth, little by little, following the rhythms of the sun, it will go on growing. But it needs water to sprout and grow. And if the...