Discover 10 projects financed by European funds

European funds play a huge role in the development of member states, financing a wide variety of innovative projects that bring tangible benefits to the whole of Europe and its citizens. These initiatives span a range of fields, including innovation, education, digital technology, environmental protection, employment and cultural promotion. This article is a selection of ten European projects, illustrating the breadth and diversity of European Union funding.

1. The LIFE Tree Check project

As the Earth’s global temperature continues to rise, some areas are more affected than others. Such is the case of urban areas, which suffer from the “urban heat island” (UHI) effect. LIFE tree Check, financed with millions of euros from the European LIFE program for the environment and climate action. It enabled the planting of trees and the installation of green infrastructure to combat the effects of overheating in a number of Central European cities. The project has become an example to follow in Europe, inspiring new renaturation initiatives across the continent.

2. Erasmus+: “European mobility to develop skills and build citizenship”

Founded in 1987, the Erasmus+ program supports international cooperation in the fields of education, training, youth and sport. Since its inception, over 12.5 million young Europeans have benefited from these opportunities. The program creates links between students across Europe. This European mobility project, which ran from 2017 to 2019, aimed to engage work-study students and young people living in rural or peri-urban areas in the notion of European citizenship, while developing their skills.

3. The European Green Belt project

Officially launched in 2008, the European Green Belt is an initiative to create a network of protected areas along the border between Western and Eastern Europe. Financed by various European funds, this initiative plays a crucial role in preserving the environment, promoting cross-border cooperation and commemorating the history of the European Union, as it follows the route of the former Iron Curtain. This undertaking is highly symbolic, bringing together 24 countries involved in the management of 7,319 protected areas and 49 national parks.

4. Clean Sky/ Clean Aviation: green technologies for aviation

Clean Aviation is the successor to the Clean Sky 1 and 2 programs. Following the success of the latter two, a first call for proposals with funding of 735 million euros over 36 months was opened in 2023. Developed as part of the Horizon program, Clean Sky 1 & 2 projects aimed to reduce pollutant emissions and noise pollution caused by civil aviation. Thanks to investment from European funds, this project has made it possible to develop innovative, environmentally-friendly technologies to improve aircraft fuel efficiency. Clean Aviation is now a call for projects to develop hydrogen-powered aircraft, hybrid electric aircraft, short- and medium-range aircraft, “cross-cutting” technologies, and coordination and support to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

5. Building sustainable infrastructures

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has contributed to the financing of numerous infrastructure projects such as public transport networks, waste management systems and eco-responsible infrastructures designed to minimize environmental impact and promote the use of renewable energies.

• Efficient public transport: Thanks to the ERDF, Marseille has been able to install an automatic metro and develop its tramway network, offering its residents improved urban mobility and reduced air pollution.
• Waste management: in partnership with several other European countries, Germany has raised the funds needed to build a large-scale battery recycling facility. The CIRC€UIT program, supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), recovers metals from end-of-life batteries and recycles them to make new batteries, thus avoiding the costly and polluting extraction of natural resources in Europe.
• Energy innovation: the Orkney Islands (Scotland) have benefited from European funding for innovative projects such as the development of marine energy or the optimization of renewable energy use through the integration of smart grids.

6. Supporting employment and SMEs

European funds also play a key role in economic and social development, notably through the European Social Fund + (ESF+). Its mission is to promote employment, vocational training and equal opportunities for all European citizens. It also supports a wide range of projects aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses to grow and innovate, thereby helping to create jobs and improve Europe’s competitiveness on the world stage. For example, the “Elan Jardin” project, run by an association in the Jura region, is a good illustration of the role of ESF+. Thanks to this European financial support, the association was able to help people in need of social integration by offering them training in market gardening, as well as cooking and health workshops to promote their well-being.

7. Culture and heritage preservation

In 2019, the 47th edition of the La Rochelle International Film Festival was co-financed by Europe Creative, with nearly 63 million euros dedicated to the event. The Europe Creative program aims to support Europe’s cultural and creative industries, in particular by promoting the mobility of artists and the cross-border distribution of works. Among the many projects financed, we can cite the restoration and enhancement of historic sites such as the Pont d’Avignon, or the organization of music festivals such as Europavox.

8. Food security and rural development

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) contributes to food safety, environmental protection and socio-economic development in rural areas. Thanks to this fund, numerous projects have been launched to improve farm efficiency, encourage the installation of young farmers, promote organic farming and develop short distribution channels. One example is a project launched in Martinique in 2020, Aromavie, for the production of essential oils from local aromatic and medicinal plants, financed to the tune of €138,000.

9. The EUCAIM project: digitally-enhanced medical imaging

The European Union is also actively involved in the fight against cancer, funding research, prevention, screening and environmental improvements. It is also investing in the digital field to develop new technologies via the Digital Europe fund. The EUCAIM project launches the Cancer Image Europe platform, which aims to design, test and deploy artificial intelligence-based tools for personalized and predictive cancer medicine. This initiative will enable healthcare professionals to detect cancer more quickly, accurately and effectively. The project has met with great success and remains open to new partners.

10. Supporting regions in hosting refugees

European funds have also been mobilized to provide assistance to regions and local communities stricken by the refugee crisis. In Greece, for example, 181 million euros have been released under the European Union Solidarity Fund to finance the improvement of infrastructures for the reception and integration of migrants.