Brussels, 25/08/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission adopted a raft of support measures for Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon on 17 August.
Support for equality and rural development in Morocco. The Commission approved the 2011 Annual Action Programme for Morocco. Beneficiaries of this fresh support include those living in the northern Moroccan rural region of Al Hoceima (€19 million), an isolated area, socially and economically more backward than the rest of the country, and one where cannabis-growing is widespread. The programme will help improve the living conditions and incomes of the local population by supporting decentralisation and local development, job creation and social development, and environmental issues.
A further €35 million will be used for implementation of the Moroccan government's recently adopted Agenda for Equality between Women and Men, mainly by mounting information campaigns (including for opinion-makers, parliamentarians and leaders of industry) and creating the conditions for the participation of women in political governance and public life in general on an equal footing with men. This programme is designed to ensure that Moroccans enjoy a fairer share of the benefits of growth.
Financing of €85 million will be allocated to support Morocco's “advanced status”. Advanced status was granted by the EU in October 2008 in response to Morocco's desire to accelerate the process of rapprochement with the EU that started with the entry into force of the Association Agreement in 2000. The programme will back the sectoral reforms and commitments made by Morocco in the roadmap to advanced status.
Commenting on the adoption of the annual action programme, Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Štefan Füle said: “With its support for the Agenda for Equality the European Commission is backing Morocco's desire to move forward with the implementation of democratic reforms, which kicked off on 1st July with the approval by referendum of the proposed revision of the constitution”.
Fresh aid for Algeria's cultural heritage and transport sector. The Commission also adopted a €34.5 million Annual Action Programme for Algeria. A first project, with a budget of €21.5 million, will enhance the protection and development of Algeria's cultural heritage through support for priority actions to identify and record this heritage, and tools to protect and exploit it (management tools and pilot projects) by providing methodological tools, equipment and training. With this approach the project will also develop job opportunities for unskilled young people, especially through apprenticeships and training on site. A second project, which will have a budget of €13 million, will support the implementation of Algeria's new transport strategy, which includes the modernisation of the Transport Ministry, support for updating legislation and the regulatory framework, support for institutions in charge of transport safety, and the professionalisation of those employed in transport.
Improving living conditions and creating jobs in Egypt. The Commission approved €100 million for Egypt to help improve living conditions for the poor in Cairo, create more jobs, and make sustainable energy more widely available. The new support will improve environmental conditions in the area by financing initiatives for waste collection, recycling of solid waste, solar energy systems for health clinics and waste water disposal. It will also raise awareness, through civil society groups, of the environmental challenges facing residents, and help local people - especially women and young people - to get involved in developing their own areas. One million people will benefit from the programme. “Our support will help where it is most needed - providing better living conditions for poorer people, more jobs and cheaper energy. It will help to make a real difference to the lives of ordinary people across Egypt”, said Füle.
The €100 envelope will focus on: - improving the living conditions of the poor population residing in under-served areas in the Greater Cairo region (€20 million); - implementing trade and domestic market-related reforms which are expected to trigger inclusive economic growth and job creation (€20 million); - improving sustainable energy supply for the whole population via the promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency in conjunction with increasing the financial transparency of the energy sector (€60 million).
Support for education and renewable energy in Jordan. A new €71 million assistance package for Jordan will provide critical support to education, renewable energy and the implementation of the country's European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan.
In education, €35 million worth of funding will provide new training for teachers, help to build new centres for special needs education, and enable children living in some of Jordan's poorest areas to have access to pre-school education. It will also help to improve the Ministry of Education's monitoring and evaluation procedures, through the introduction of a new education management information system.
In renewable energy, the support, worth €23 million, will help the country to continue to roll out its 2007-2020 energy strategy, which is expected to achieve energy savings of 20% by 2020. It will also support the implementation of the European Neighbourhood Annual Action Plan, which will set up, inter alia, “twinning” programmes where experts from member states carry out secondments in the Jordanian government to share knowledge and skills.
Finally, €13 million will go to support the implementation of the Action Plan Programme III. This project will provide various Jordanian institutions with technical assistance and twinning activities, which means a close partnership between an EU member state institution and that of the beneficiary country (including the provision of long-term seconded experts) in order to develop modern and efficient administrations. “Such support will help Jordan's institutions meet the commitments undertaken in the context of the EU-Jordan Association Agreement and ENP Action Plan, in addition to complementing the EU support to Jordan's reforms provided through different programmes so far”, says the Commission in a press release. Given the needs of the Jordanian administration and the requirements of the Action Plan, now reinforced with “advanced status”, these activities are steadily growing in importance, the Commission points out.
Support for justice and governance in Lebanon. EU funding worth €33 million will help to reform the Lebanese justice system by implementing new training for clerks and opening up a national debate on the independence of the judiciary system, giving the Lebanese people a chance to make their views heard in conferences and seminars. The aid, part of the Annual Action Programme for Lebanon, will also improve the environmental performance of the public sector in Lebanon by helping the Ministry of the Environment to better plan and implement environmental policy. Lebanon's municipalities will also benefit from this programme through the provision of new training and expertise to make administration in the municipal sector more effective and better able to manage public funds.
The objectives of the programme are, firstly, support to the reform of municipal finance (€20 million). This programme aims to achieve better balanced socio-economic development through modernised municipal administration and effective central support to local governments. To achieve this, improved effectiveness and efficiency of municipal sector management, combined with strengthened municipal finance systems to sustain service delivery, will be pursued. Secondly, support to reform - environmental governance (€8 million). This project, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, aims to improve the environmental performance of the Lebanese public sector by reforming environmental governance. Training will be given to Ministry of Environment staff, and to other stakeholders in the sector, to help them better plan and implement environmental policy, including law enforcement. And thirdly, support to the reform of the judiciary (€5 million). The EU has already supported reforms in the area of the Lebanese judiciary through programmes in the past. In line with these, the new programme will contribute to a more independent and better-performing judiciary system in Lebanon, thus increasing its legitimacy and trust in it among the Lebanese public. Tackling the issue of independence of the judiciary is a crucial step towards improving its functioning and the EU stands ready to assist the government of Lebanon in achieving this objective. (O.L./transl.rt)