Who gains from saving nature
Ledger 1 : 33 — For each dollar financing nature-based solutions in 2023, about $33 financed activities harmful to nature. (UNEP)
Cases / Finance, funds and markets · European Union · 2002–2029

EU LIFE funding for loggerhead conservation, 2002-2029

Nature's voice · report
The EU gave EUR 3,793,167 in my name to LIFE EUROTURTLES (2016-2021); the project reports 4,419 more of my nests protected at 56 sites; no independent evaluation was found. European Commission, LIFE public database
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
Not on record
  • No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
  • The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
What the record lacks: 1 none on record · 1 insufficient · 1 not measured · 1 unclear See the gaps

Four EU LIFE projects between 2002 and 2029 funded loggerhead conservation in Greece, the eastern and northern Mediterranean and the western Mediterranean. The results listed are the projects' own reports; no independent evaluation was found.

EUR 3,793,167EU contribution to LIFE EUROTURTLES (2016-2021)
Total project cost EUR 5,116,167. Coordinator: Croatian Natural History Museum.

Status As of October 2026: LIFE02 and LIFE EUROTURTLES are complete; LIFE TURTLENEST runs to 2028; no independent evaluation was found.

What?
EU LIFE projects co-funded loggerhead conservation: LIFE02 NAT/GR/008500 (ARCHELON, 2002-2006), LIFE EUROTURTLES (2016-2021) and LIFE TURTLENEST (2023-2028). European Commission, LIFE public database
Where?
Greece (LIFE02); Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Slovenia (EUROTURTLES); Italy, Spain and France (TURTLENEST). European Commission, LIFE public database
When?
2002-2006, 2016-2021 and 2023-2028 (MareNatura 2023-2029 is unconfirmed). European Commission, LIFE public database
Who?
Gained
Lost
None on record
Harmed
None on record
Why?
To reduce loggerhead mortality and protect nesting sites; TURTLENEST addresses nesting range expansion under climate warming in the western Mediterranean. European Commission, LIFE public database
How?
Through EU LIFE grants to NGOs, a museum and public bodies, with results reported by the projects. European Commission, LIFE public database
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

LIFE02 NAT/GR/008500 (2002-2006), with ARCHELON as beneficiary, received an EU contribution of EUR 885,960. The project reports that its rescue centre received 163 wounded turtles, of which 46.6% were released, and that 25 memoranda were signed with fishers. The Commission's project page says it remained to be seen whether the authorities would adopt the Action Plan.

LIFE15 NAT/HR/000997 LIFE EUROTURTLES (2016-2021), coordinated by the Croatian Natural History Museum, had a total cost of EUR 5,116,167, of which the EU provided EUR 3,793,167. It reports new regulations for 39 nesting sites, nest protection at 56 sites with 4,419 more nests protected, and 141 boats in voluntary management. The project page says it "has successfully reached its objectives"; this is the project's self-report.

LIFE21 LIFE TURTLENEST (2023-2028), coordinated by Legambiente, has a total cost of EUR 6,442,002, of which the EU provides EUR 4,831,501. The project page records 13 nests in the western Mediterranean up to 2012, 79 in 2020 and 100 in 2021.

  1. 2002LIFE02 NAT/GR/008500 starts, ARCHELON beneficiary (2002-2006)
  2. 2016LIFE EUROTURTLES (LIFE15 NAT/HR/000997) starts (2016-2021)
  3. 2023LIFE TURTLENEST (LIFE21) starts (2023-2028)

What was said

Claims, in the words of those who made them.

“has successfully reached its objectives”

How it looked

What was shown, beside what was recorded.

Shown

Recorded

Who gained

Money that reached nature, beside money that stayed elsewhere.

Reached nature or the ground

Not published
LIFE02 NAT/GR/008500, EU contribution (ARCHELON)€0.89m
Window: 2002-2006
LIFE EUROTURTLES, EU contribution€3.79m
Window: 2016-2021
Total project cost EUR 5,116,167.
LIFE TURTLENEST, EU contribution€4.83m
Window: 2023-2028
Total project cost EUR 6,442,002.

Gained elsewhere

Not totalled
Currency: EUR · Window: Mixed - see each line. Figures cover different periods and are not compared as a ratio. * Estimate built from cited figures.

Responses on record

In court and with insurers

Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

Lawsuits and rulings

No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.

Insurers

No insurer decision on record.

What nature saw

Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.

Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.

Wounded turtles received at the rescue centre
163
LIFE02 NAT/GR/008500; 46.6% released (project report)
Additional nests protected
4,419
Nest protection at 56 sites, LIFE EUROTURTLES (project report)
Western Mediterranean nests
13 (to 2012), 79 (2020), 100 (2021)
LIFE TURTLENEST project page

What we don't know

Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
No independent ecological evaluation

Nature

  • Not measured Harm to nature: No independent ecological evaluation is on record.

Record

  • None on record None on record: an independent evaluation of the projects; the results listed are the projects' own reports.
  • Unclear Unclear: the Commission's page for LIFE02 NAT/GR/008500 says it remained to be seen whether the authorities would adopt the Action Plan.
  • Insufficient Unconfirmed: LIFE MareNatura (2023-2029), about EUR 10.7 million with 75% EU funding, covering 44 Natura 2000 sites in Greece and Italy (MEDASSET page; not checked against the LIFE database).

Did the harm stop?

The sources reviewed record project results reported by the projects themselves; they contain no independent measure of mortality or nesting before and after.

Who paid?

The EU contributed EUR 885,960 (LIFE02), EUR 3,793,167 (EUROTURTLES) and EUR 4,831,501 (TURTLENEST). The sources reviewed do not say who funded the remainder of the EUROTURTLES and TURTLENEST total costs, and give no total cost for LIFE02.

Sources

Voices on record: — Company or project✓ Government and regulators— Courts— Press and investigations✓ Communities and civil society— Researchers

Government and regulators

  1. LIFE project page: LIFE02 NAT/GR/008500
    European Commission, LIFE public database ·
  2. LIFE project page: LIFE15 NAT/HR/000997 (LIFE EUROTURTLES)
    European Commission, LIFE public database ·
  3. LIFE project page: LIFE21 (LIFE TURTLENEST)
    European Commission, LIFE public database ·

Communities and civil society

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