European projects are mainly listed below, while global ones supported by the EU are listed under the topic biodiversity and its global governance.

RTD (Research & Innovation) projects
A large number of Research & Innovation (RTD) programmes under FP7 (2007-13) and Horizon 2020 (2014-20) have supported projects relating to biodiversity conservation. Calls under the first phase of the new Horizon Europe (2021-27) are ongoing, and have been listed in the HE Work programme for 2021-22.

FP7 (2007-2013) programmes that covered biodiversity conservation:
Specific Programme "Cooperation": Environment (including Climate Change) (FP7-Environment; total funding € 1.9 billion) aimed at improving the sustainable management of environmental resources by advancing knowledge on interactions between the climate, biosphere, ecosystems and human activities via multidisciplinary research. Areas addressed included biodiversity conservation and sustainable management, environmental pressures, marine environment management, earth and ocean observation and monitoring, and nature restoration. Among its actions most relevant for biodiversity conservation are:
Biodiversity values, sustainable use and livelihoods
Improving the capacity to protect and manage the biodiversity of continental waters
Scale dependency of sustainable use of biodiversity
Assessment of economic instruments to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
Mobilising environmental knowledge for policy and society
Developing a European scientific biodiversity Network to inform policy-making and economic actors

Specific Programme "People" (FP7-People; total funding € 4.75 billion) aimed at stimulating individuals to enter the research profession. It supported a number of research projects on biodiversity conservation via the following actions:
Marie Curie Action: International Incoming Fellowships
Marie Curie Action: International Outgoing Fellowships for Career Development
Marie-Curie Action: Intra-European fellowships for career development
Marie Curie Action: International Research Staff Exchange Scheme
Marie-Curie Action: Career Integration Grants

Specific Programme "Ideas" (FP7-Ideas-ERC; total funding € 7.5 billion)  implemented by an autonomous European Research Council (ERC), aimed at developing high-level frontier research at European level. It supported a number of research projects on biodiversity conservation via the following actions:
ERC Starting Grant - Evolutionary, population and environmental biology
ERC Consolidator Grant - Environment, Space and Population

Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) programmes that covered biodiversity conservation:
Pillar III (SOCIETAL CHALLENGES): Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy (H2020-EU.3.2; total funding € 3.9 billion) aimed to secure sufficient supplies of safe, healthy and high-quality food and other bio-based products by developing productive, sustainable and resource-efficient primary production systems, fostering related ecosystem services and the recovery of biological diversity. Among its actions most relevant for biodiversity conservation are Sustainable agriculture and forestry (H2020-EU.3.2.1) and Cross-cutting marine and maritime research (H2020-EU.3.2.5).

Pillar III (SOCIETAL CHALLENGES): Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials (H2020-EU.3.5; funding € 3.1 billion) aimed to achieve a resource- and water-efficient and climate change-resilient economy and society, protect and sustainably manage natural resources and ecosystems, and ensure a sustainable supply and use of raw materials. Among its actions most relevant for biodiversity conservation is Protecting the environment, sustainably managing natural resources, water, biodiversity and ecosystems (H2020-EU.3.5.2), which included funding (€ 3 million) the project Europa Biodiversity Observation Network: integrating data streams to support policy or EuropaBON, and co-funding (€ 12.9 million) the project Consolidating the European Research Area on biodiversity and ecosystem services or BiodivERsA3. Biodiversity conservation was also covered under actions Fighting and adapting to climate change (H2020-EU.3.5.1) and Developing comprehensive and sustained global environmental observation and information systems (H2020-EU.3.5.5). The H2020 Green Deal Call Restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services (LC-GD-7-1-2020) funds large-scale demonstration projects on restoration as well as systemic upscaling and replication of best practice ecosystem restoration. 

Pillar I (EXCELLENT SCIENCE): Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (H2020-EU.1.3; total funding € 6.2 billion) and European Research Council (H2020-EU.1.1; total funding € 13.1 billion) also include several topics relevant to biodiversity conservation.

Horizon Europe (2021-2027) ongoing calls/programmes covering biodiversity conservation:
Horizon Europe's Pillar II on Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness covers biodiversity conservation mainly under Cluster 6.

The HE Work programme (2021-22) for Cluster 6 on "Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment" includes several destinations relevant for biodiversity conservation. Particularly relevant are calls under destination 1 dedicated to "Biodiversity and ecosystem services" (total indicative budget €375 million). This includes co-funding (€ 40 million) the new European Biodiversity Partnership ‘Rescuing biodiversity to safeguard life on Earth’ or Biodiversa+, which will connect national, local and European research, innovation and environmental programmes, combining resources in support of one goal: by 2030 biodiversity in Europe is back on the path to recovery. It will co-develop multidisciplinary research and innovation programmes with stakeholders, set up a European network of coordinated observatories for biodiversity monitoring, and implement a broad range of activities to increase the relevance, impact and visibility of EU research and innovation in tackling the biodiversity crisis in line with the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030. Other projects under this destination are encouraged to promote synergies with Biodiversa+, as well as with the ongoing EuropaBON project initiated under Horizon 2020 and other relevant projects and initiatives under this and other destinations. Relevant calls are also covered under destination 2 "Fair, healthy and environment-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption" (total indicative budget € 416 million), destination 5 "Land, ocean and water for climate action" (total indicative budget € 193 million), destination 6 "Resilient, inclusive, healthy and green rural, coastal and urban communities" (total indicative budget € 128 million) and destination 7 "Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green Deal" (total indicative budget € 370 million). The corresponding currently running HE projects are classified under the following programmes:
HORIZON.2.6.2 - Biodiversity and Natural Resources
HORIZON.2.6.4 - Seas, Oceans and Inland Waters
HORIZON.2.6.1 - Environmental Observation
HORIZON.2.6.3 - Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Areas
HORIZON.2.6.7 - Circular Systems

Pillar I (Excellent Science) also continues under HE, with indicative budgets over 2021-22 of € 4347 million in the form of grants for the European Research Council, € 830 million for Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions and € 470 million for Research Infrastructures. Several research projects relevant for biodiversity conservation are included here.

Pillar 3 (Innovative Europe) includes the European Innovation Council (EIC) with a total indicative budget over 2021-22 of € 4347 million for its Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator actions. It supports SMEs and research teams developing breakthrough innovations with a focus on contributing to objectives of the European Green Deal and the Recovery Plan for Europe. Its programme EIC Accelerator Challenge – Green Deal innovations for the Economic Recovery supports projects with sustainability goals, including preserving and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity. Projects relevant for biodiversity conservation are included here.

CINEA projects
The European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) runs many programmes that fund projects on biodiversity conservation. These include the LIFE programme for environment and climate action, programmes in the maritime sector, and others.

The LIFE programme
In 2021 the Commission approved an investment package of more than €290 million for 132 new projects under the LIFE programme (2021-2027). This EU funding will mobilise a total investment of €562 million. Putting Europe's biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030 is one of its main goals. It consists of four sub-programmes, one of which is devoted to Nature and Biodiversity. The Nature and Biodiversity sub-programme aims at protecting and restoring Europe’s nature, and halting and reversing biodiversity loss. It will fund 39 projects that support the implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives, as well as EU-BDS 2030, with a total budget of €249 million, of which the EU will pay €134 million.

Earlier LIFE programmes also covered many projects relevant to this topic, which can be searched in the LIFE public database. For instance the ongoing project (2019-25) Life Connects (EU co-funding € 5.6 million) aims at improving the conservation status of target species and ecological status of target rivers.

Maritime sector programmes
These are funded via the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and projects are listed in the maritime datahub.