91.9 millions Euro for new EC regiobal programmes in the Mediterranean

The European Commission has allocated €91.9 million to the Mediterranean region under its 2010 Regional Action Programme, with nine regional projects and programmes financed in sectors ranging from Transport to Environment, Confidence Building Measures to Business Financing, and Justice and Home Affairs.

 The actions identified in the Regional Action Programme result from the conclusions of the Euromed Ministerial Conferences and/or are the continuation of previous EC regional programmes. The programme covers the Southern countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy, namely Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Syria and Tunisia. It was approved on August 4, 2010.

 The following programmes are more particularly relavent for the water sector:

• Euromed Programme on Sustainable Water Management and depollution of the Mediterranean (€15 million): intends to promote dissemination of sustainable water management policies and practices in the region in the context of increasing water scarcity. It will address four interlinked issues (water governance, water and climate change, water financing and water demand management) and three sources of pollution (municipal waste, municipal wastewater, industrial emissions) while supporting the initiative for the de-pollution of the Mediterranean.
• ENPI-South Global Allocation:will ensure quick commitments on small actions and projects and enable the European Commission to act with flexibility. Among many others, it finances the regional Ministerial Conferences.
• Partnership for Peace (€10 million): aims to promote communication and mutual understanding in the Middle East Peace Process. It supports initiatives designed to rebuild mutual trust through reconciliation, build capacity for conflict resistance, empower marginalized parties and launch joint development policies and strategies.