STELLA assisted the European Commission in monitoring the implementation of projects financed by the Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE)-Third Countries. The assignment covered a wide geographical area including 12 Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, West Bank and Gaza), Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Albania in the Balkans, and St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad in the Baltic region. STELLA managed the monitoring of more than 70 projects focusing on capacity building in the fields of environment and sustainable development, including integrated coastal zone management, water and wastewater management, solid waste management, and legislation and regulatory support. STELLA reviewed and assessed progress made by projects and identified potential administrative, technical, and financial problems encountered on the ground. STELLA also played an important role in strengthening the communication and liaison between the Commission and the LIFE-Third Countries beneficiaries, as well as promoting the dissemination of lessons learned and success stories.

For the European Commission, STELLA coordinated the selection of the best project proposals to receive financial support from the EC Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE) Third Countries (TCY). LIFE TCY aims at contributing to the establishment of capacities and administrative structures needed in the environmental sector and developing environmental policy and action programmes in third countries bordering on the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas. In response to a call for proposals for the extension of LIFE III, the EC received about 100 new proposals from 13 eligible countries and territories (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, West Bank and Gaza, and the Baltic shoreline of Russia: St Petersburg and Kaliningrad regions) and from international organisations. The objective of the assignment was to select the best project proposals in accordance with the criteria in the LIFE Regulation and to provide technical support and assess the projects considered eligible by the Commission services. STELLA led a team of seven evaluators who assessed eligible proposals according to the following criteria: Technical and financial reliability of the applicants; Conformity with the scope of LIFE TCY, as defined in the LIFE regulation; Coherence and quality: projects should be technically and financially feasible; Institutional/capacity building effect, viability and sustainability; Interest of the project; and Dissemination/visibility.

For the European Commission, STELLA prepared a Europe-Asia environmental cooperation strategy covering 17 Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Based on the overall objective of the EU environmental cooperation programme with Asia (assisting Asia in protecting its natural resources and abating its pollution), STELLA reviewed the environmental challenges in Asia, stakes for Europe, and existing environmental cooperation with Asia. After several internal consultation meetings with the European Commission's Directorate Generals and one public consultation meeting, STELLA established Europe-Asia environmental cooperation objectives. STELLA prepared a report summarising the results of its review and specifying criteria for selecting Europe-Asia environmental cooperation activities and for the strategy's implementation.

Each year between 2008 and 2011, STELLA successfully implemented 28 Information Sessions on behalf of the European Commission and in collaboration with the EU Member States. Annually, we organised one Session in each EU Member State and two in Belgium. The Information Sessions aimed to inform potential beneficiaries about the LIFE+ Programme, whether it is the best financing programme for their project, how to submit a good proposal, and how to manage a LIFE+ project. Each Session was conducted in the official language of the Member State (with the exception of Ireland and Malta, where the Sessions were in English) and included an official Presentation approved by the European Commission, and presentations by the national LIFE+ contact points and successful LIFE / LIFE+ projects. Over the past four years, the Information Sessions have reached annually up to 2,700 potential LIFE+ applicants across Europe, and the high quality LIFE+ PowerPoint Presentation and other materials reached an even wider audience via the European Commission LIFE website.

For the USAID Pollution Prevention Project (EP3), STELLA staff designed and prepared the script in French and English for a slide show on pollution prevention, with taped narration and music. The 100-slide, stand-alone slide show was presented in Tunisia and Morocco, where it was received very favourably. The USAID also produced it in Spanish and on videotape for distribution worldwide. After an introduction stressing the need to act now for the sake of current and future generations, the slide show explains the concept of pollution prevention and provides illustrative case examples from the cement, printing, painting, tanning, electronics, and detergent industries. Reflecting on the perceived and real reasons why pollution prevention does not happen more often, the slide show suggests ways for promoting pollution prevention: establishing pollution prevention programmes; setting clear, precise goals, recognising and rewarding people and institutions that prevent pollution; undertaking pollution prevention audits; providing on-the-job training for professionals; and educating students and children about the importance of the environment.