EU shoves community development

Economic and Social Fund for Development plans for $3.6 million worth projects in the North

The Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) signed ten memorandums of understanding for community development projects across 83 villages distributed over ten municipality clusters in the north of Lebanon.

The projects, worth €2.5 million ($3.6 million), are part of the EU-funded Economic and Social Development Fund (ESFD).
The MoUs mark the planning phase of the project. The EU commission has assigned ten committees, one committee for each cluster of municipalities. The committees will assess the needs of the community and submit project proposals.

The ESFD will then choose the most suitable projects and submit them to the EU for approval. The total budget allocated for the projects must not exceed $3.6 million.

ESFD projects are implemented through cooperation with the municipalities which undertake performing tenders according to the EU standards.

The ESFD has signed 39 agreements for community development projects covering 119 towns across the country, since its establishment in 2006. The contributions offered by the fund have so far reached €10.3 million ($14.8 million).
The ESFD is an autonomous unit attached to the CDR.

‘Community Development’ aims at improving the living conditions of the underprivileged groups through a financial and technical assistance to projects proposed by the local communities.