EdiWeb ListPro

			Issue 2 29 June 2007







European Neighbourhood Policy of "paramount importance" EU welcomes outcome of Human Rights Council negotiations Human Rights: launching the European Day Against the Death Penalty EU condemns attack on UNIFIL troops in Lebanon Louis Michel renews call for immediate humanitarian access to Gaza Aid to Mediterranean countries in discussion at the European Parliament EMPA Committee to discuss Middle East EU and Algeria discuss increased Algerian gas supplies Cairo Declaration on Higher Education and Scientific Research Belarus : EU to withdraw GSP trade preferences over workers rights’ violations BP- Gazprom agreement

EuroMed Justice – the EC extends the Programme New €380 million migration and asylum cooperation programme Cooperation on water in the Mediterranean Seminar on Euro-Med security Medibtikar support to innovation Syria : encouraging energy efficiency Enterprise Training Partnerships launch in Cairo EuroMed Air Traffic Management Workshop in Marrakech Launch of the Egyptian Microfinance Best Practice Award RehabiMed conference on Traditional Mediterranean Architecture Euromed audiovisual II: the Euro-Arab Cinema Caravan travels on Inauguration of the exhibition: “Crossing Glances” Lebanon : towards a common vision of economic and social policy Improve investigation resources of the criminal police in Lebanon Prevention of Drug Abuse and the Fight against Drug Trafficking EIB investment in Georgia

European Neighbourhood Policy of "paramount importance" At its meeting in Brussels on 20-21 June, the European Council reaffirmed the high priority of the European Neighbourhood Policy, “which aims at consolidating a ring of prosperity, stability and security based on human rights, democracy and the rule of law, as well as supporting the process of reform and modernisation of partners in the Union's neighbourhood.” The European Council endorsed the Council Conclusions on strengthening the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Presidency Progress Report, which includes a set of measures to further strengthen the ENP. “While the ENP's character as a single and coherent policy framework should be maintained, implementation of the Policy should take due account of the specificity of partner countries,” the Council Conclusions stated. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/ec/94932.pdf EU welcomes outcome of Human Rights Council negotiations An agreement was reached on 19 June in Geneva on the Institution Building Process of the UN Human Rights Council. The mechanism for a Universal Periodic Review of all UN member states will ensure regular examination of the Human Rights record of each UN member state, on the basis of the same criteria and without consideration of the level of development other than in the outcome phase. At this occasion, t he European Union has reiterated its commitment to universal, interdependent and indivisible human rights and called upon all states to fully cooperate with the mechanisms of the Council. http://www.eu2007.de/en/News/CFSP_Statements/June/0621Menschenrechtsrat1.html Human Rights: launching the European Day Against the Death Penalty The Commission is proposing a draft Joint Declaration to the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, to be adopted together with the Council of Europe, regarding the establishment of a European Day against the Death Penalty, on 10 October of each year. " We Europeans are the number one advocate against the death penalty and for its universal abolition. And we will not rest until the death penalty becomes history in every country of the world" stated Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the Commissioner for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/850&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en


EU condemns attack on UNIFIL troops in Lebanon The Presidency of the European Union has condemned in the strongest possible terms what it called “the perfidious attack” on Spanish UNIFIL troops in southern Lebanon on 24 June, which claimed the lives of six members of the Spanish contingent and injured a number of others. In a statement, the Presidency said: "The perpetrators of this murderous attack must be identified and brought to justice as quickly as possible". It once again urges all forces in Lebanon and the region to take a determined stand against violence and to support the efforts of the United Nations unreservedly. http://www.eu2007.de/en/News/CFSP_Statements/June/0625Libanon.html- Louis Michel renews call for immediate humanitarian access to Gaza "In the current situation, there is a real risk that Gaza will begin to look like a citadel under siege, where the civilian population is trapped and even basic needs cannot be met " said the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel. He called for the opening of the border between Israel and Gaza to enable vital relief supplies to reach the people inside the Gaza Strip. The European Commission has a relief package of almost €30 million for Gaza. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/944&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en Aid to Mediterranean countries in discussion at the European Parliament “The Barcelona Process continues to be the appropriate framework for Mediterranean policy, in which changes and the necessary political will are needed to obtain better results” according to a European Parliament report which analyses EU management of aid to Mediterranean countries. The report insists on the urgent need for a direct financial support to the Palestinian Authority and for a humanitarian support to Gaza. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/030-7977-169-06-25-903-20070615IPR07912-18-06-2007-2007-false/default_en.htm EMPA Committee to discuss Middle East The situation in the Middle East and the Arab Peace Initiative is on the agenda of the next Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA) Committee on Political Affairs, Security and Human Rights to be held in Brussels on Monday 2 July. The Committee will also have an exchange of views on the programme of the Portuguese Presidency and on Human Rights. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/empa/committee_poli/draft_agendas/2007-07-02_en.pdf EU and Algeria discuss increased Algerian gas supplies Algerian gas supplies to the EU could increase by 23.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year by 2010 if joint infrastructure projects currently under construction are carried out according to plan. This was one of the conclusions of a bilateral meeting between Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and his Algerian counterpart, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Chakib Khelil, on 21 June on the sidelines of the EU-OPEC Ministerial Meeting in Vienna. Algeria is currently the third largest supplier of gas to the EU. The negotiation of a Memorandum of Understanding between Algeria and the EU was also on the agenda. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/869&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en Cairo Declaration on Higher Education and Scientific Research Research and Innovation should be defined as a priority sector within the Euromed Partnership according to the Ministers participating in last week’s First Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Higher Education and Scientific Research in Cairo. They agreed to undertake appropriate measures in nine key areas such as t he approximation of Euromed Higher Education systems with relevance to the Bologna process and ECTS system; enhancing participation in a Euromed Scholarship Scheme in the framework of the Erasmus Mundus; integrating the Mediterranean Partner Countries into the European Research Area… A second Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Higher Education and Scientific Research will be held in 2009. http://www.eu-delegation.org.eg/en/127-07-Cairo-declaration.doc


Belarus : EU to withdraw GSP trade preferences over workers rights’ violations In December 2006, the EU warned that it would have to withdraw Belarus' trade preferences under the EU's Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) if Belarus did not comply with its International Labour Organisation (ILO) obligations relating to freedom of association for workers. On 15 June 2007, the ILO adopted its assessment that Belarus has not acted to ensure the protection of certain key labour rights related to freedom of association in Belarus. Belarus' GSP trade preferences will therefore be withdrawn from 21 June 2007. The situation is now in the hands of the Belarusian authorities. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/844&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en BP- Gazprom agreement "The Commission welcomes the agreement between BP and Gazprom which provides a mutually acceptable solution to the licenses issue for the development of the Kovytka gas field" stated Commissioner Andris Piebalgs after the signature of an agreement between BP and its partners with Gazprom on the Kovykta gas field. The Commission expects this agreement will have a positive impact on the investment climate in Russia since the deal recognises investments already made by TNK - BP in the Kovytka project.


EuroMed Justice Programme – the EC extends the Programme until December 2007 The seminar on "New instruments of international judicial cooperation in criminal matters”, of the EuroMed Justice regional programme funded by the European Commission, was held in Barcelona on 18-21 June 2007. It gathered high level representatives of the MEDA countries (judges, magistrates, court registrars, and lawyers), delegates from Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal, representing the EU and representatives from the Council of Europe, the European Judicial Network and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). During this seminar, participants have examined the various challenges for the development of international judicial cooperation in our global world where organised crime has a trans-national dimension. They exchanged views on the extradition procedures and the related problems, analysed the different practices between countries and judicial systems, in order to find common ways of cooperation. http://www.eipa.eu/en/pages/show/&tid=63 New €380 million migration and asylum cooperation programme €380 million will be available for a programme launched by the European Commission to increase cooperation with third countries in the areas of migration and asylum for 2007-2013. Building on the experience of its predecessor, AENEAS, the programme will seek to support third countries in their efforts to ensure better management of migratory flows in all its dimensions. The focus will be on countries along the Southern and Eastern migratory routes towards the European Union. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/872&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en Cooperation on water in the Mediterranean Experts of the Mediterranean Water Information Partnership (MEDWIP) regional workshop will meet with key stakeholders in Madrid on 3-4 July to review the preliminary findings of a feasibility study related to a Mediterranean Water Observatory Mechanism. Participants will also discuss the draft content of a charter for the Mediterranean Water Information Partnership. The 13 Mediterranean water directors involved in the EMWIS Steering Committee (the Euro-Mediterranean Information System on Know-How in the Water Sector) will then meet on 5th July to prepare the EuroMed Ministerial conference focusing on water at the end of 2008. http://www.semide.net/medwip/about/fol668721 Seminar on Euro-Med security “Dealing With Security in the Euro-Mediterranean Area after Barcelona 10” is the title of a two-day EuroMeSCo research seminar that starts in Lisbon on Thursday, 28 June. Topics for discussion include the impact of the ENP on security cooperation and conflict resolution, EU strategies on police reform in Palestine and in Turkey, and the political and security cooperation. EuroMeSCo is a network of research institutes in countries of the EU and the Mediterranean, financed by MEDA regional funds http://www.euromesco.net/images/programme_29_juin.pdf Medibtikar support to innovation An agreement was signed in Tunis on 20 June between the Tunisian Agency for the Promotion of Industry (API) , and Intrasoft International, for the implementation of the Euro-Med Innovation and Technology regional Medibtikar. The aim of the programme is to strengthen the management skills and the technology transfer capacity of institutional authorities, intermediaries and SME supporting organisations of the MEDA countries and territories. It supports the creation of innovation networks, the development of an innovation culture and SME (Small and Medium Size Enterprises) competitiveness. Medibtikar started in April 2006 and will run for 3 years with a budget of €7.3 million. http://www.medibtikar.eu/ Syria : encouraging energy efficiency “Political and Economic Framework Conditions for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies in Buildings” was the theme of the capacity building workshop organised by the EU-funded Regional Project MED-ENEC last weekend in Syria. Among the topics to be discussed are energy efficiency legislation, energy labelling programmes in the MEDA countries, the use of Solar Water Heaters, and the Tunisian incentive scheme ProSol. The MED-ENEC regional project which has a budget of €4 million aims to encourage energy efficiency and the use of solar energy in the construction sector. http://www.med-enec.com/docs/20070619-Program%20RW2-3%20Syria.pdf Cairo : Enterprise Training Partnerships launched Four private-public partnerships in the engineering, food processing, wood and furniture, and building and construction materials sectors were launched in Cairo on 26 June under the EU-funded Technical and Vocational Education and Training System programme. The 6 years programme is designed to assist in the reform of the technical and vocational education and training system in Egypt with the goal of enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises on the domestic and international markets. http://www.delegy.ec.europa.eu/en/News/513.asp EuroMed Air Traffic Management Workshop in Marrakech The EU-funded EuroMed Aviation Project was holding its first Air Traffic Management (ATM) workshop in Marrakech, Morocco on 27-28 June. The €5 million Project was launched in January 2007 in the framework of the MEDA regional programme “Promoting a Euro-Mediterranean Airspace” and addresses five main components: the aviation market, security, safety, the environment and Air Traffic Management (ATM). http://www.euromedtransport.org/368.0.html Launch of the Egyptian Microfinance Best Practice Award The winner of the first Egyptian Microfinance Best Practice award was announced on Thursday, 28 June. The European Commission and Egypt’s Social Fund for Development (SFD) have jointly launched the country’s Award which aims at encouraging microfinance activities and rewarding international best practice in micro-credit operations. RehabiMed conference on Traditional Mediterranean Architecture “Traditional Mediterranean Architecture: Present and Future” is the title of the 1^st Euro-Mediterranean Regional Conference organised by the EU-funded project RehabiMed in Barcelona on 12-15 July 2007. Topics on the agenda include traditional architecture and its heritage value and rehabilitation as a factor of social cohesion. The aim of the Rehabimed project, which is part of the European Commission’s EuroMed Heritage regional programme, is to promote the rehabilitation of traditional architecture in all Mediterranean countries as the way forward to sustainable development. http://www.rehabimed.net/conferencia/angles/index_conferencia_ang.htm Euromed audiovisual II: the Euro-Arab Cinema Caravan travels on The "Caravan of Euro-Arab Cinema" travels in Europe and in Mediterranean countries to showcase new Arab and European films: from Egypt (in April) to the Netherlands (May and June), the Caravan will travel to France in July for a three-week showcase of new Lebanese cinema. Launched in March 2006, the "Caravan of Euro-Arab Cinema", supported by the Euromed Audiovisual II Programme, aims towards a better and mutual understanding through regular and seasonal transmission of cinematic productions in the north and south of the Mediterranean. It also creates new audiences for euro- mediterranean productions. http://www.cinemacaravan.com/caravan-01.htm Inauguration of the exhibition “Crossing Glances” 17 young photographers from the Mediterranean will present their work in Brussels from the 5^thof July until the end of August. They are the winners of “Crossing Glances”, the international competition launched in 2006 for photographers under 30, involving 7 countries of the European Union and 10 of the Mediterranean region. Funded by the European Commission in the framework of its MEDA Regional Information and Communication Programme, the “Crossing Glances” exhibition is one visible result of a project aimed at giving young people from the region an opportunity to share experiences and expectations. The exhibition situated in the Galleria AIDCO, 41 rue de la Loi, will be inaugurated by the Commissioner Ferrero Waldner on the 5^th July at 6pm. http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/frontoffice/index_fr.htm and http://www.euromed-crossingglances.org/site/index.php Lebanon : towards a common vision of economic and social policy At the initiative of the European Commission delegation in Lebanon, representatives of Lebanese political parties represented in the parliament, professional associations, economic experts met for a round table at the end of May in the framework of a the Inter Lebanese Forum on economic and social development. The objective was to encourage a convergence of opinions on economic and social priorities for the country. http://www.dellbn.ec.europa.eu/en/info/07/31may07.htm EU finances project to improve criminal investigation Reinforcing criminal investigation resources of the judiciary police in Lebanon is the objective of a project financed by the European Commission. It will provide expertise in terms of security to the judiciary police. In this context, a memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Ministry of Justice and the Domestic Security Forces to reinforced investigation resources. http://www.dellbn.ec.europa.eu/en/info/07/24may07.htm


Prevention of Drug Abuse and the Fight against Drug Trafficking in Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova Recognizing the urgent need for international cooperation to withstand the trans-boundary drug trafficking, the participants in a joint news conference dedicated to the International Day Against Drug Abuse (26 June) have called to scale up prevention actions and find solutions to drug abuse problem within its roots – among the drug users in order to slow down the drug abuse for a long-term perspective. This conference was taking place in the framework of BUMAD, an EU-funded and UNDP-led project aimed to assist the Government of Ukraine in the sphere of control for drugs. http://www.delukr.ec.europa.eu/press_releases.html#43642 EIB investment in Georgia Georgia and the European Investment Bank (EIB), have signed an agreement paving the way for EIB investment in Georgia. This agreement will allow the Bank to proceed with the financing of projects of key common interest, in the areas of transport, energy, telecommunications and environmental infrastructure. The EIB got a mandate under the ENP envisaging release of $3,7 billion to the countries of East Europe and South Caucasus ( Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia ,the Ukraine, Moldova and Russia). Georgia is the only country at this stage, which signed the agreement.


Forthcoming events 27 June 2007- Brussels EuroMed Economy and Finance Senior Officials Meeting 26-27 June 2007 – Brussels INOGATE Round-table, « Why energy market convergence makes good sense » 05-06 July 2007 – Brussels Senior Official and EuroMed Committee meeting 10 July – Brussels Budget support, a new path for aid (Aidco Euro Info Point) 13 July 2007 – Lisbon EuroMed Senior Officials Expert meeting on migrations
	Funding opportunities Detailed information on open tenders in the ENPI partner countries can be found in the EuropeAid tender database at: http://ec.europa.eu/comm/europeaid/cgi/frame12.pl Detailed information on procedures on: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/ index_en.htm


		The European Neighbourhood Partnership Instrument - ENPI The European Union provides financial support to its eastern neighbours and those along the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean through the European Neighbourhood Partnership Instrument launched in January 2007. This instrument, within the European Neighbourhood Policy, promotes enhanced cooperation and progressive economic integration between the EU and its partner countries and builds on common values. The countries covered by the ENPI are: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Russia, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine.

PRODUCED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EuropeAid Cooperation Office DG) WEB SITE: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm E-MAIL: enpi-ebulletin@ec.europa.eu This publication is available in ENGLISH and FRENCH at: http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/euromed/news_interviews. htm#Euromed%20Synopsis

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