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ENPI news | |  | Num 62 28 Nov 2008 |  |  |  |  | |
Ferrero-Waldner meets Syrian Vice-Prime Minister Al DardariCouncil Conclusions on the reception of Iraqi refugees Commission opens negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova upon accession to the Energy Community Positive developments in Belarus are welcomed by EU commissioner Ferrero-Waldner |  |  |  | |
EU support to improve public administration and governance in Morocco Euromed Migration discusses economic immigration Last Euromed Cinema’s Expert Committee meeting Graduation ceremony for 50 deaf and marginalized young people in EU- supported Gaza vocational training programme Delegations organize information workshops on Mediterranean Sea Basin ENPI CBC Programme Finance contracts signed by FEMIP in the Mediterranean European Union Hands Over 65 Thermo-Imaging Binoculars to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine EU-funded Project on Improving Access to Justice for Rural Population Holds Roundtable on Children's Rights Russia: support to Export-Oriented Innovative SMEs Russia: project on the Development of the Insurance Sector |  |  | | Council Conclusions on the reception of Iraqi refugees On 27-28 November, the Justice and Internal affairs Council adopted conclusions on the situation of Iraqi refugees. EU ministers declared that the main objective is to create the conditions in which displaced persons inside Iraq and refugees in neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Syria can return safely to their homes, while ensuring that the human rights of all Iraqis are protected and defended. The Council recalled the humanitarian and financial aid provided by the eU and Member States to Iraqi refugees and welcomed the fact that some Member States are taking in Iraqi Refugees. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/jha/104360.pdf |  | | |  | Ferrero-Waldner meets Syrian Vice-Prime Minister Al Dardari“I value the recent positive developments in Syria’s regional policy, in particular the establishment of diplomatic relations with Lebanon and the indirect peace talks with Israel” said the European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, during a meeting with Dr. Abdullah Al Dardari, Vice-Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Arab Republic of Syria. They exchanged views on the situation of the EU-Syria Association Agreement and reviewed the state of play of economic reforms in Syria and of developments in the Middle East region. They decided to meet again in Damascus on 14 December to initial the updated Agreement. |  | |  |  | Commission opens negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova upon accession to the Energy Community First negotiation rounds were successfully held in Vienna on 25 and 26 November 2008 with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova concerning their accession to the Energy Community Treaty. Both countries demonstrated their strong willingness to join the Energy Community, to prepare for the implementation of the related EU legislation and to pursue the necessary reforms of their energy markets. A second round of negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova would be organized in February 2009. The general objective of the Energy Community is to create an integrated energy market, enhance the security of supply, attract investment in power generation and networks in order to ensure stable and continuous electricity supply and improve the environmental situation in relation with energy supply. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1783&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=uk Positive developments in Belarus are welcomed by EU commissioner Ferrero-Waldner Commissioner for External Relations and ENP, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, welcomed the announcement by Belarus on 19 November to take concrete steps to allow the printing and distribution of the two independent newspapers "Narodnaia Volia" and "Nasha Niva" and to discuss the international norms with regard to the internet media. She also welcomed Belarus's readiness to discuss in detail OSCE/ODIHR recommendations regarding the improvement of the electoral legislation. http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/ferrero-waldner/speeches/index_en.htm#21_11_2008 |  | |  |  |
EU support to improve public administration and governance in Morocco The European Commission and the Moroccan Ministry of Economy and Finance have signed on the 21 November a financing agreement that will grant 817 million dirham to the State. This grant will serve to improve the management of budgetary and human resources within the public administration and contribute to a better service to citizens. http://www.delmar.ec.europa.eu/fr/communiques/20081121.htm Euromed Migration discusses economic immigration In the framework of the project EuroMed Migration II, the working group on labour migration will hold its second session on management of economic immigration in Brussels on 1-3 December. It will focus on the immigration of workers. www.euromed-migration.eu Last Euromed Cinema’s Expert Committee meeting Euromed Cinemas' 12th and last Expert Committee will gather on 6 January 2009, in Casablanca to examine applications for distribution and exhibition support of Euro-Mediterranean films. It will support the release of Mediterranean films in the EU and in the Mediterranean region as well as European films in the Mediterranean region (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey). The €15 million (MEDA funded) Euromed Audiovisual II Programme, ending next month, enhances the audiovisual and cinema sectors in Mediterranean Partner Countries, thus promoting cooperation and mutual understanding with the EU. Press release Graduation ceremony for 50 deaf and marginalized young people in EU- supported Gaza vocational training programme The "Improving the quality of life of deaf and other marginalized people in the Gaza Strip" project, co-funded by the European Union and Christoffel-Blindenmission has celebrated the graduation of 50 young people, who have taken part in a holistic product-oriented vocational training and employment program. The ceremony marked the end of a three year programme, in which 170 deaf and marginalized young people have taken part in a total of 17 product-oriented vocational training and employment courses. The European Union provided 750,000 Euros for this programme, over half of the total budget. http://www.delwbg.ec.europa.eu/en/index.htm Delegations organize information workshops on Mediterranean Sea Basin ENPI CBC Programme EC delegations in the Mediterranean region organize information workshops on the Mediterranean Sea Basin European Neighbourhood Partnership Instrument Cross Border Cooperation (ENPI CBC) Programme 2007-2013, which is part of the European Neighbourhood Policy. The Programme currently includes 15 EU Mediterranean and Mediterranean partner countries. The first call for proposals for the programme is expected to be launched in December 2008. Eligible organisations from eligible regions, organised in partnerships, will have the opportunity to submit projects for funding. Delegations information and contacts: Syria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, West Bank & Gaza Strip Finance contracts signed by FEMIP in the Mediterranean A country-by-country breakdown of finance contracts signed in the Mediterranean Partner Countries has been updated and made available by the European Investment Bank’s dedicated Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP).In total, €353 million were made available in the current year. Chart |  | |  | | European Union Hands Over 65 Thermo-Imaging Binoculars to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine On 26 November, a ceremony was organised as the EU handed over a batch of thermo-imaging binoculars to the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) of Ukraine. The 65 thermo-imaging binoculars, worth Ђ3.5 million are the first batch out of 287, the remainder of which will be delivered in the near future. The SBGS will be the first law-enforcement service world-wide having available such powerful and efficient equipment for the purpose of border guarding. http://www.delukr.ec.europa.eu/press_releases.html?id=49441 EU-funded Project on Improving Access to Justice for Rural Population Holds Roundtable on Children's Rights On 12 November 2008 a roundtable “Mechanisms of prevention, stopping and combating children’s rights violation and violence towards children: experience of citizens’ initiatives implementation” was conducted in Kyiv. This activity was organised by the Ministry of Ukraine for Family, Youth and Sports in cooperation with the EU-funded Project “Improving Access to Justice for Rural Population”. http://www.delukr.ec.europa.eu/press_releases.html?id=49435 Russia: support to Export-Oriented Innovative SMEs On 27 November 2008, the final conference of the results of the EU-funded project on providing support to export-oriented innovative SMEs was held in Kiev. The aim of this project, that runs from December 2005 to December 2008, was to promote a better business environment for innovative, export-oriented SMEs and enhanced the business organizations support capabilities. http://www.delrus.ec.europa.eu/en/news_1106.htm Russia: Project on the Development of the Insurance Sector On 25 November 2008, the Delegation of the European Commission to Russia hosted a seminar on Solvency II, which was organized in the framework of the EU-funded project "Development of the Insurance Sector".The aim of the project is to improve and strengthen the Russia insurance sector by putting it in line with international standards and in the perspective of the current and future agreement on the Common Economic Space between EU and Russia. |  | |  |  | |
Report on the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Enterprise This report on the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Enterprise (MED Charter) provides a comprehensive picture of the development of policies that support and promote entrepreneurship and enterprise development conducted by the governments of the Mediterranean partner (MED) countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria and Tunisia. http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/international_relations/docs/mediterranean/2008_report_charter_en.pdf New EuropeAid publication on “Budget Support: The effective way to finance development” “Budget Support: The effective way to finance development” is the focus of a new EuropeAid publication that explains what budges support is, how it works, the risks involved as well as safeguards. It also gives information and figures of sums allocated per sector and refers to the countries that have received support, including some in the southern Mediterranean, namely Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Brochure “Children in action for women’s rights”: drawing exhibition opens at EuropeAid from 26 November to 18 December and on website "Protecting women’s rights and empowering them as decision-makers are fundamental principles of the European Union’s work across the globe " said Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy at the announcement of “Children in action for women's rights”, a drawing exhibition at International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in EuropeAid Co-operation Office in Brussels (Rue de la Loi, 41). Winners on EuropeAid website Report available online for the ‘GO-EuroMed’ conference on 27 November in Brussels The conference report for the Conference of DG Research Sixth Framework Programme project 'GO-EuroMed: The Political Economy of EuroMed Governance' is now available for download from the project website at www.go-euromed.org. DELEGATION NEWS
15th European Film Festival in Lebanon from 27 November to 7 December 2008 The 15th European Film Festival is organised by the EU Delegation in Lebanon in collaboration with the Embassies and Cultural Institutes of the EU Member States. The programme includes 31 recent feature films from the European Union, allowing the audience to view prize-winning films screened at major international festivals as well as the first or second production of promising young directors.
Forthcoming events 3 December 2008: Eastern Partnership proposal 9 December 2008: EU-Georgia Cooperation Council 9 December 2008: EU-Armenia Cooperation Council 9 December 2008: EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council |  | | | Calls and funding opportunities Detailed information on open tenders in the ENPI partner countries can be found in the EuropeAid tender database here.Detailed information on procedures is here. |
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| 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) This publication does not represent the official view of the European Commission or the EU Institutions.
The text of this publication is by no means binding for the Commission. Note on quotation: check against delivery |  |  | | |  |  | | | | | | |
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