EU strengthens the European Neighbourhood Policy with increased funding for the period 2011-2013

IP/10/221

Brussels, 2 March 2010

EU strengthens the European Neighbourhood Policy with increased funding for the period 2011-2013

Over EUR 5,7 billion will be allocated in the next three years to reinforce political cooperation and promote economic integration between the EU and its neighbours. Funding will go to support political and economic reforms, regional and cross-border cooperation in the partner countries covered by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) ¹ . It will also support projects in areas like climate change, transport, energy and environment. EU neighbours will receive more than EUR 2 billion in 2013, compared with EUR 1,6 billion in 2010.

Baroness Catherine Ashton, Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said : “We want to engage further in cooperation with our neighbours proving that EU remains a solid and reliable partner in current hard times. We offer stronger links of political association and economic integration, adapted to our partners’ wishes and capacities. Increased EU funding is an important tool to achieve these goals " .

Stefan Füle, Commissioner for Enlargement and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) said : ''If we want to make the neighbourhood policy a success, we must give ourselves the means to do so: greater mobility of people, more trade, more aid. This all comes at a price. However, I believe it would cost us even more to deal with the consequences of poor economic performance, instability and conflicts in our own neighbourhood''.

Following the mid term review of existing programmes with the neighbourhood countries the College adopted today, on 2 March, 16 out of 19 ENPI programmes for 2011-2013, totalling € 4.2 billion i.e.:

• 13 new country programmes for Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Moldova, Morocco Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine;

• For the first time, a country programme for Libya;

• A new regional programme for the Eastern Neighbourhood (covering also 2010) to support the Eastern Partnership, the new Eastern dimension of the ENP;

• A new Inter-Regional programme to finance students’ exchanges, university and cultural co-operation, contacts between local and regional authorities and to support physical investments in transport, energy and environment. This programme also includes specific support for co-operation activities with the Russian Federation.

The mid term review of the country programme for Belarus, the multi-country programme for the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and the Cross Border Co-operation programmes are under preparation and will be completed soon. All 19 programmes and the planned assistance to the occupied Palestinian territories will total over EUR 5,7 billion.

Annex

Background:

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) developed by the EU since 2004 goes beyond classical political cooperation to include elements of economic integration, as well as support for reforms to stimulate economic and social development. This privileged relationship is based on common interests and values (democracy and human rights, rule of law, good governance, market economy principles and sustainable development). The ENP is strengthened through regional cooperation initiatives: the Union for the Mediterranean and the Eastern Partnership.

For more information on the ENP: http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/index_en.htm

¹ :

Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine and Russian Federation