On Thursday 1 December, the European Commission adopted a package of €221.4 million to support projects in Egypt, Jordan, Libya and Syria that are aimed at "promoting economic growth and job creation, supporting democracy, resilience and reconstruction, and improving health and quality of life", according to a Commission press release.
Jordan will benefit from €115 million for two projects. The first, for €100 million, is aimed at improving health, quality of life and environmental conditions for the population. The second, for €15 million, is expected to support the country's reform process "towards the consolidation of deeper democracy".
For Syria, €80 million will be dedicated to reinforcing "the resilience of the population, paving the way for recovery and reconstruction of the country". Different projects will "help people in Syria to cope with the effects of the current crisis, contributing to address the root causes of migration", according to the Commission.
Egypt will benefit from €20 million over two years (2016-2017) for projects "fostering inclusive economic growth and job creation, improving citizens' lives and contributing to the country's stabilisation".
In addition, a new assistance package of €6.4 million will go to Libya. This should contribute to the empowerment of Libyan institutions through the support of the public finance system and the media sector. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)