Brussels, 19/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 18 September the European Commission approved new funding of €9 million for media and civil society in Jordan.
On the media level, support of €4 million “will help to establish free, independent and high quality journalism”, according to the European Commission, with the development of institutions and training programmes for media professionals. It will also help the design and establishment of an independent regulatory body and an independent media council, with a code of conduct to be developed by media and journalist organisations. The funding will also help to put in place a strategy, action plan and dialogue between relevant ministries, legislators, the Royal Court, and Jordan's media.
A civil society fund (CSF) - a joint initiative between the EU and the Jordanian government - will also be created. It will improve the co-ordination of EU support to civil society organisations, helping to make their work more effective, while previous EU assistance projects highlighted a number of weaknesses in these civil society organisations. An amount of €4 million will be dedicated the support of civil society.
An amount of €1 million will go to management activities related to audit, evaluation and visibility. (CG/transl.fl)