EU-Egypt to sign €558 million assistance package

EU Commissioner for External Relations and the ENP, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation, Fayza Aboulnaga, will sign the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the National Indicative Programme 2007-2010, tomorrow (March 7). The focus of the €558 million assistance package is to support the reform process and the implementation of the EU-Egypt ENP Action Plan, adopted by the EU-Egypt Association Council last year.
 
Work on the Annual Action Programme 2008, which consists of four programmes worth € 139 million, has been launched. The €80 million Sector Policy Support Programme for the Transport Sector will provide assistance to Egypt’s efforts to reform the Transport Sector. €17 million are allocated to the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Civil Society with the objective of identifying concrete measures to improve human rights and strengthen the role of civil society in Egypt. The €13 million programme of Support to Political Development, Decentralization and Good Governance aims at enhancing the efficiency of selected key Egyptian public entities and to increase transparency and accountability in the administration of public affairs, both at central and local level. The Improved Water and Waste Water Services Programme (IWSP) with an EC contribution of €29 million is an investment programme that will improve the quantity, quality and efficiency of the water supply and particularly wastewater services for four million people in the governorates Sharkia, Gharbia, Damietta and Beheira in the Delta region.

Bilateral assistance to Egypt is complemented by the regional ENPI programme. Egypt is also eligible to receive funds under the Mediterranean ENPI Cross-border co-operation programme currently under preparation.

EU – Egypt Action Plan