The main objective of the SUBSED project is to demonstrate that it is possible to convert waste (dredged marine sediment) into a resource (a commercial substrate) through the application of sustainable techniques, both from an environmental and an economic perspective.
To achieve this objective, sediment-based substrates will be used in the nursery production of ornamental plants (laurel) and fruit trees (olive and citrus), as well as in the cultivation of non-food crops (protea, calla, laurel) and food crops (basil, blueberry, woodland strawberry and citrus).
Through the LIFE programme, the European Union provides funding for projects aimed at protecting the environment and nature. The programme was established in 1992 to support projects within the EU and in certain candidate and neighbouring countries.
The fourth phase of the programme, LIFE+, covers the period 2007–2013 and has a budget of €2,143 million, of which at least 50% is allocated to projects for the protection of nature and biodiversity. The remaining share is dedicated to environmental policy and awareness-raising projects.
Projects focused on nature and biodiversity conservation aim to improve the protection of endangered species and habitats. Their purpose is to contribute to the implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives and to the establishment of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. These are pilot projects that pursue the EU’s objective of halting biodiversity loss.
By the end of 2012, the LIFE programme had co-financed more than one thousand projects for nature and biodiversity conservation, providing over €1.5 billion in funding since 1992 and mobilising approximately €2.7 billion in total.
