European Commission announced twelve calls for proposals in the 5FP Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources programme during 1999-2002 years. In 5FP Lithuanian RTD institutions had first opportunity to participate in the European RTD programmes as full members with almost equal rights with their Western coleagues.

This article is devoted to review the participation of Lithuania in the 5FP LIFE programme. A total 162 proposals were submitted with participation of partners from Lithuania during 1999-2001 years period. At the beginning of 2002 18 contracts were signed with European Commission. 23 proposals were selected as successful and are still being negotiated, 2 projects still remain on the reserve list. In preparing statistic we assume that all negotiations will be finalised successfully and final figures will remain on the same level.

First two figures are devoted to present dynamics of the activity of participants from Lithuania in the 5FP LIFE programme during the years of 5FP. It can be noted that total number of proposals received in 2000 decresed comparing with the first year of the programme (53 in 1999 and 35 in 2000) but absolute numbers of successful proposals remains the same that indicates that the efficiency of the results slightly raised and reached in 2000 success rate of 31.4 %. Even more encouraging was the year 2001 the year of special measures of EC for Candidate Countries. The activity of participants and quality of proposals submitted during the year 2001 was approximatelly twice higher than in previous years. 89 proposals were submitted, 21 proposals successfully evaluated and have been placed to main priority list. The total number of participants increased comparing with total number of submitted proposals. It indicates that collaboration among institutions of Lithuania become more active in solving major challenges of the European Union.

The last figure presents the most active institutions of Lithuania participating in the 5FP Quality of Life and management of living resources programme. Of course it covers only most active and most successful institutions not mentioning many others. It can be pointed out that LIFE programme was one of the most successful programmes for the Lithuania which indicates huge potential in this area existing in Lithuania.

Abbreviations: KMUKL - Clinic of Kaunas University of Medicine, Bti - Institute of Biotechnology, VU - Vilnius University, LUA- Lithuanian University of Agriculture, SME - Small and medium enterprices, Bchi- Institute of Biochemistry, KTU - Kaunas University of Technology, LII - Lithuanian Institute of History, LMI - Lithuanian Forest Research Institute, LAEI - Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics, DA - Dotnuva Academy, LIC - Lithuanian Innovation Centre, BoI - Institute of Botany, EI - Institute of Ecology.

Overview of Lithuanian participation in the 5FP LIFE programme evidently shows increasing Lithuanian institutions activity during the years of the 5FP (1999-2002). I hope that gained experience allows Lithuanian institutions to submit more successful proposals during the next - 6FP - Programme.