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European Commission Environmental cooperation in the Mediterranean

European Commission Environmental cooperation in the Mediterranean. June 2009. Current Political Landscape. All Commission cooperation (including environment) beyond EU borders must support EU external policy. European Neighbourhood Policy Increasingly structured approach

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European Commission Environmental cooperation in the Mediterranean

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  1. European CommissionEnvironmental cooperation in the Mediterranean June 2009

  2. Current Political Landscape • All Commission cooperation (including environment) beyond EU borders must support EU external policy. • European Neighbourhood Policy • Increasingly structured approach • ENP action plans, progress reports • Enhanced dialogue • Financial assistance is policy driven i.e. to support ENP • Emphasis on bilateral relations • Reinforces the Euro-Med Process/Union for the Mediterranean (regional emphasis)

  3. Financial Framework • European Neighbourhood and Policy Instrument (ENPI) replaced MEDA and TACIS from 2007 onwards • Almost €12 billion until 2013, 32% increase in real terms over previous MEDA and TACIS (for the entire ENPI region) • Majority of funds for bilateral assistance • Rest of the funds for regional and cross border programmes as well as governance facility • Neighbourhood Investment Facility to catalyse infrastructure investments. Environment is a priority • Limited funding possible from Thematic Programme on Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources including Energy (ENRTP). • Focus on biodiversity, climate change and energy for ENP countries • No figure for environmental assistance fixed in advance by the Commission as bilateral assistance depends on nationally expressed priorities.

  4. Establishing an environment strategy in the MediterraneanCommission Communication COM(2006) 475 • Focus on Mediterranean ENP countries • Current and potential EU MS in the Mediterranean have a different agreed pre-accession strategy • Outlines the aims and tools at our disposal • Outlined Horizon 2020 initiative and proposed draft of timetable that was adopted in Cairo November 2006 • Outlines how broader cooperation can contribute to protecting the Med –the tools at our disposal!

  5. European Commission – what means do we have? • Strengthening dialogue and ownership • Use formal dialogue to talk beyond environment ministries • Involve other key ministries • Promote environmental integration into other sectors • Openness and transparency • Transfer, adopt and apply EU experience • TAIEX is now active in the region for transferring know-how and expertise • Share research results, • Learn from Baltic and Black sea approaches • Financial assistance to compliment finance from other sources (International Financial Institutions, national resources, other donors) • All EC finance to countries of the region now through ENPI as part of the programmed assistance • Better coordination • Target on activities where added value is clear • Improve coordination with international bodies and initiatives • UNEP/Mediterranean Action Plan plays a key role • Don’t create new institutions, work better with those that exist already • Improve coordination of research with EU policy

  6. Horizon 2020 Mediterranean initiative structured on 4 elements • Pollution Reduction Projects • Identify and prioritise the most significant pollution reduction projects and work to secure funding (European Investment Bank, World Bank, MAP etc.) • Capacity building measures • Development of legislation, institutions and civil society • Research • Strategic focus of research framework programme to support environmental policy • Monitoring, steering and review • Develop ‘scorecard’ and indicators to measure progress • Annual Steering Committee with sub-groups for dealing with particular issues • Has picked up from SMAP network as the regional component of Euro-Mediterranean Process (UfM)

  7. H2020 – Ongoing actions • Mediterranean Environment ministers meeting scheduled for October 2009 to report progress with road map • European Investment Bank (EIB) working with other key donors and financial institutions (World Bank, KfW, AFD, GEF) • to identify bankable projects from Barcelona Convention National Action Plans to reduce land based pollution • To promote their implementation and feed into the NIF • H2020 Steering Committee established • different sub-groups working in detail on pollution reduction projects, capacity building, monitoring • Under monitoring the European Environment Agency (EEA) working with partners (MAP) to produce scorecard and indicator process

  8. Cooperation beyond H2020 • Strategy recognised that H2020 cannot meet all of the aims of cooperation • ENP and its action plans go beyond the scope of H2020 • Other EU priority issues include • ENP Action Plans and Association Agreements • Global threats (climate change, biodiversity, EU Water Initiative) • Better implementation of Barcelona Convention and its protocols • Integration into other sectors • Emergency preparedness • Emerging issues (drought, water scarcity and flooding)

  9. Further information • Horizon 2020 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/enlarg/med/horizon_2020_en.htm • Communication establishing an environmental strategy for the Mediterranean (also in French and Arabic) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2006/com2006_0475en01.pdf • European Neighbourhood Policy • Includes, actions plans + ENPI Strategies and indicative programmes http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/index_en.htm • Euo-Mediterranean Partnership • Includes ENPI Regional Strategy Paper http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/euromed/index.htm

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