EU pledges further support to help with refugee influx

EU-Lebanon Cooperation Days wrap up

The second EU-Lebanon Cooperation Days event was held at the UNESCO Palace on March 18 and 19. The two-day event is organized by the European Delegation and is open to all interested audiences.

The European Union (EU) has recently announced a new financial assistance of €30 million (around $40 million) to help local stakeholders cope with the impact of refugees from Syria within the SPRING programme (Support for Partnership, Reforms, and Inclusive Growth). The EU has so far allocated some €75 million (around $97 million) to support Lebanon’s response to Syrian refugees. It plans to allocate an additional equal amount soon.

The EU is one of the main donors to Lebanon with around €220 million ($284 million) in yearly assistance, through the European Commission, EU Member States, and the European Investment Bank.

The EU’s assistance is outlined by an Action Plan that takes into account the principles of the European Neighborhood Policy with 13 priority objectives highlighted in areas like conducting elections, law enforcement, and border control, and enhancing the role of women in public and economic life. The National Indicative Programme this year focuses on support to modernize infrastructures in the energy, water, solid waste, and reforestation sectors, and improve the quantity and quality of statistical information, among others.