Background Documents

The EU is the region’smajor donor, with the European Commission providing the lion’s share of its regional support through its EuropeAid Co-operation Office. For the period 2007-2013 the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership is being financed through a new instrument, the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), for which a total amount of €12 billion is foreseen, of which approximately 10 percent is allocated for regional projects. The ENPI allows for every country to articulate its own ambitions in dialogue with the EU. Some want to work towards free trade. Others have different ambitions, for example to work together on infrastructure, environmental or energy related issues, create closer cultural relations or chose to stimulate the exchange of students, journalists or other professionals. e European Commission is committed to taking this cooperation further through its Regional Programmes and by providing the platform for continuous dialogue.