On Monday 17 October, the foreign affairs ministers of the member states of the EU agreed on the next steps regarding the priorities for the partnerships and compacts with Jordan, for 2016-2018, and Lebanon, for 2016-2020, the Council has announced in a press statement. These priorities and compacts will be adopted at the EU-Jordan and EU-Lebanon association councils to be held before the end of the year. According to a European source, the councils are expected to be held in November.
The partnership priorities will steer the EU's bilateral relations with both countries. They take account of the goal of working towards a common area of peace, prosperity and stability, as well as the key role played by both countries in the region, the Council explains in its statement.
With Jordan, the priorities will include regional stability and security, including the fight against terrorism, economic stability, sustainable and knowledge-based growth, quality education, job creation and democratic governance, the primacy of law and human rights.
Security and the fight against terrorism, governance and the primacy of law, opportunities for growth and jobs, migration and mobility will be the priority partnership areas for Lebanon.
For their part, the compacts will focus on reinforcing the economic resilience of Jordan and Lebanon – which are both hosting more than 2.8 million Syrian refugees – whilst improving the economic opportunities of Syrian refugees, through the better protection of and access to work, and quality education, according to the Council statement. Effectively, in exchange for additional funding from the EU, the countries will provide a more favourable environment for the refugees.
The compact with Jordan includes additional financial support from the EU of a minimum of €747 million for 2016-2017, including at least €200 million in macro-financial aid and €108 million in humanitarian aid, according to a European source, who told EUROPE that the figures have not been completely finalised. The compact also contains simplified rules on the exports from Jordan to the EU of a large number of products from 18 special economic areas for a period of ten years, on condition that employment opportunities are made available to Syrian refugees as well as Jordanian nationals.
The compact with Lebanon also provides for additional financial support – of a minimum of €400 million in 2016-2017 – and increased assistance in a number of political fields. The Council explained that Lebanon will continue to find ways of improving the regulatory framework for the registration of and residence permits for refugees. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)