European Commission Environmental cooperation in the Mediterranean

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
• Dont 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/horizo
  n_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/20
  06/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/eurom
  ed/index.htm