During his visit to Jordan on Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 June, the European Commissioner for Growth Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, signed a new €20 million financing agreement entitled "Innovation for Enterprise Growth and Jobs".
The purpose of these funds is to support innovation for business growth and employment. "With this new program, we will continue to invest in young, passionate entrepreneurs and innovators with cutting-edge ideas", Mr Hahn told reporters during his high-level mission.
He added, "We want to help local businesses grow, produce better, innovate more and eventually become more competitive in local and international markets."
He specified that additional aid should arrive over the period 2019-2023, without giving more details. This period corresponds to the Jordanian government's five-year reform plan.
With this new programme, the EU has supported Jordan since 2011 with more than €2 billion. On 24 June, the EU also released €100 million in macro-financial assistance and, according to Mr Hahn, the Commission also immediately started negotiations for a third assistance programme (see EUROPE 12281/10).
"The country needs to implement its 5 year socio-economic growth and reform matrix to unlock economic growth, create jobs, improve social protection for the most vulnerable and reinforce macro-economic stability", the Commissioner said, paying tribute to Jordan's hosting of more than one million Syrian refugees.
During his mission, Mr Hahn was accompanied by six financial partners: the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the German Development Bank (KfW), the World Bank Group (WBG) and the British Department for International Development (DFID). Together, these institutions provide more than €7 billion in aid to Jordan. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)