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1. The Commission shall implement the LIFE Programme in direct management, or in indirect management with bodies referred to in point (c) of Article 62(1) of the Financial Regulation.

2. The LIFE Programme may provide funding in any of the forms laid down in the Financial Regulation, in particular grants, prizes and procurement. It may also provide financing in the form of financial instruments within blending operations.

3. At least 85 % of the budget for the LIFE Programme shall be allocated:

(a) to grants as referred to in Article 11(2) and (6);

(b) to projects financed through other forms of funding to the extent specified in the multiannual work programme referred to in Article 18; or (c) where appropriate and to the extent specified in the multiannual work programme referred to in Article 18, to financing in the form of financial instruments within blending operations as referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article. The Commission shall ensure that the projects financed by other forms of funding are fully in line with the objectives set out in Article 3. The maximum amount allocated to grants as referred to in Article 11(4) shall be EUR 15 million.

4. The maximum co-financing rates for the eligible actions referred to in points (a) to (d) of Article 11(2) of this Regulation shall be up to 60 % of eligible costs and up to 75 % in the case of projects funded under the subprogramme 'Nature and Biodiversity', in particular those that concern priority habitats or species, as part of the implementation of Directive 92/43/EEC, or that concern the species of birds considered as a priority for funding by the Committee for Adaptation to Technical and Scientific Progress set up pursuant to Article 16 of Directive 2009/147/EC when necessary to achieve the conservation objective. For the actions referred to in Article 11(6) of this Regulation, the maximum co-financing rate shall be 70 % of the eligible costs. Without prejudice to the relevant and pre-determined maximum co-financing rates, specific rates shall be further specified in the multiannual work programme referred to in Article 18 of this Regulation. The specific rates may be adapted in accordance with the requirements of each subprogramme, project type or type of grant. For the projects referred to in Article 11(4), the maximum co-financing rates shall not exceed 95 % of eligible costs during the period of the first multiannual work programme; for the second multiannual work programme and subject to confirmation in that work programme, the co-financing rate shall be 75 % of eligible costs.

5. Quality shall be the criterion governing the project evaluation and award process in the LIFE Programme. The Commission shall pursue effective, quality-based geographical coverage across the Union, including by supporting Member States to increase the quality of the projects through capacity building.