Cooperation through the eyes of journalists in the East - Russian
The EU and Lebanon
1. Country press pack
The EU and Lebanon
Progress in Relations – ENP Progress Report 2009
2009 was marked by very slow progress on political, economic and social reforms outlined in the
Action Plan, with the build-up to parliamentary elections in June followed by five months of
negotiations to form a government. Many draft laws implementing the reform agenda and related to
Lebanon’s WTO accession (a prerequisite for a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement)
remained blocked. In October 2009 the European Commission, through the EU Delegation in Beirut,
organised a conference to evaluate the implementation of the Action Plan: the results proved that the
ENP dialogue can help building consensus around key reforms and effectively assist the reform
process.
The Government declaration from December 2009 sets ambitious goals and reiterates the well-known
need to implement overdue reforms. The translation of this policy statement into operational terms in
2010 should make it a concrete agenda for change and further the implementation of the EU-
Lebanon Action Plan in the coming years.
The EU is the first trading partner of Lebanon. Imports from the EU grew by 6.6%, while exports
decreased by 28.8% compared with 2008.
2009 Lebanon country progress report
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/progress2010/sec10_522_en.pdf
Lebanon National Indicative Programme (NIP)
The overall budget for bilateral EU-Lebanon assistance in the framework of the European Neighbourhood
and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) will amount to €150 million for 2011-2013, according to the National
Indicative Programme (NIP) for the period released by the European Commission. “An average of €50
million a year represents a 7% increase in comparison to the previous programming period. This increase
is motivated by the willingness of the EU to consolidate the stability of the country and give substantial
support to Lebanon’s reform agenda,” it says.
The assistance in the years 2011-2013 will support:
• Lebanon’s political reform.
• Social and economic reforms.
• The recovery and reinvigoration of the economy.
ENPI Info Centre Lebanon NIP wrap up
3. http://www.dellbn.ec.europa.eu/en/eu_and_lebanon/success_stories.htm
ENPI Info Centre feature story section
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_type_med.php?id_type=6&country=5
ENPI Info Centre publications section – Lebanon
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_type_med.php?keyword=Lebanon&id_type=9&newstype=
ENPI Info Centre Photo Gallery - Lebanon
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_galleries_med.php?country=5
EuropeAid photo library
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/multimedia/photos/library/index.cfm?lang=en
Eurojar feature: EU Assists Lebanese demining effort
http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id=20540&id_type=1&lang_id=450
Eurojar EU-funded project – All reportages
http://www.eurojar.org/en/euromed-articles
