SMAP meetings
SMAP

 

          *   6th MEETING OF THE SMAP CORRESPONDENTS

Brussels, 21-22 June 2004
SUMMARY RECORD AND CONCLUSIONS

CHAIR: Mrs. Soledad Blanco, DG ENV and Mr. Jean-Marc Riegel,
DG AIDCO
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS: In annex I
AGENDA: In annex II
OPENING REMARKS: Mr. Claus Sorensen, Director ENV.E and Mrs. Carla Montesi, Head of Unit, AIDCO/B/2

OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF THE MEETING

The general feeling was that this sixth annual meeting of the SMAP Correspondents was useful, stimulating and constructive. A large number of participants expressed also their appreciation of the atmosphere prevailing and of the opportunities offered for dialogue on issues of substance.

EVOLUTION OF EU POLICIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Presentations were made by Mr. Yrjö Mäkelä, Commission Task Force Wider Europe, on the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), and Mr. Andres Bassols Soldevila and Ms. Axelle Nicaise, officials from DG RELEX, on new developments under the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Emphasis was placed by the Commission on the new ENP policy toward the Mediterranean and the countries to the East of the enlarged Union, because it signals a strengthening of the relations with those countries bordering the Union.

The Commission adopted in May 2004 a Strategy Paper on ENP, including information on a new financial instrument to appear after 2006, as well as Reports on seven ENP partners. Action Plans are in preparation with Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Palestinian Authority and Tunisia. The Commission also stressed the fact that these plans were developed in close cooperation between the Task Force Wider Europe and DG Environment. Emphasis was placed in this context also on the inclusion of sustainable development and environment considerations in the Plans.

2004 saw the conclusion of the 2005-2006 National Indicative Programmes as well as that of the 2005-2006 Regional Indicative Programme. Mention was made of the significant funding for national water programmes included under all National Indicative Programmes (NIPs).

The Commission is currently also pursuing the implementation of the EU Association Agreements through the establishment of bilateral Environment Subcommittees starting with Morocco and following with Tunisia and Egypt.

These presentations on policy developments gave the opportunity to several participants to raise points about EU policy in the Mediterranean and issues related to its implementation and financing.

Key conclusions:

• Environmental integration has to be included and pursued in implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and the European Neighbourhood Policy
• Implementation of the Association Agreements will be pursued through the establishment and operation of Environment Subcommittees with all partner countries that have ratified their EU Association Agreement
• Countries and the Commission need to follow up on the implementation of ENP Action Plans, NIPs and RIP (Regional Indicative Programme) in the context of Environment Subcommittees as well as at the national level internally
• All such future plans should be developed in cooperation with the countries concerned and in synergy with the relevant regional and international organisations such as MAP. Civil society also needs to be involved.

IMPROVING SMAP EFFECTIVENESS

The NGO Steering Committee presented its views and criticism of the SMAP programme as a prelude to the discussion on how SMAP can be improved. SMAP was thought not to have enough resources, so that it could become a really effective environmental integration tool inside the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership process.

Several participants agreed with the Commission that SMAP should be seen as more than just a funding mechanism and that its role as a network of environmental policy development should be enhanced.

Mr. Jean-Marc Riegel, DG AIDCO, presented the new SMAP III financing proposal for a € 15 million environmental programme that will concentrate on technical assistance for the furthering of environmental and sustainable development policy as well as the preparation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management plans. This concentration on more limited goals than previous SMAP funding programmes was proposed in an effort of improving the effectiveness of SMAP funding. The first component is foreseen to be launched by the end of 2004, while the second during 2005. Consultations will have to be continued in order to see how the various possible actors can participate in the preparation of coastal zone management plans eligible for funding under SMAP. Such actors will include notably the MAP PAP/RAC, but also other international organisations and NGOs. The views expressed at the meeting will be useful in the further development of the SMAP III programme.

Some of the participants said however that the Commission should have involved them more in the consultation process since the stage of programme designing. All showed, nevertheless, their commitment to support its implementation.

NGO representatives stressed the fact that in this new more restricted scope of SMAP funding, NGOs would have difficulty in presenting projects. This would reduce significantly this source of financing of their activities. In response, the Commission said that the participation of civil society (including NGOs) will be strongly encouraged within the component of SMAP III aimed at promoting integrated coastal zone management.

Mr. Alberto Carrara, of the Regional Management Support Unit, presented their current activities, which concentrate on support to the existing SMAP projects as well as to preparations for the new ones. A significant part of their resources will go toward the organisation of national seminars devoted to environmental integration and supporting the role of SMAP correspondents in the countries.

Key conclusions:

• The SMAP network of correspondents should be used as a tool for improving sustainable development policy and its implementation both at the regional and national levels
• SMAP correspondents should be supported by the RMSU, so that they can better fulfil their multiple roles in terms of SMAP project work, but also in terms of environmental integration and overall political involvement of their countries in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership processes
• Synergies should be pursued between SMAP, MAP, METAP and bilateral assistance to the beneficiary countries. The EU Delegations in the countries are key actors in such donor coordination
• The RMSU will help the Commission both in the management of the current SMAP projects but also in the conduct of seminars in the countries that will focus on SMAP III implementation and environmental integration work

FINANCING ENVIRONMENT IN THE REGION

Mr. Jean-Marc Riegel, DG AIDCO presented the current features of the implementation of the MEDA programme as they pertain to environment and environmental integration. Key aspects stressed involved:

• The transfer (deconcentration) of the national funding programmes to EU Delegations in the beneficiary countries. This has upgraded significantly the role of these Delegations inside these countries.
• Significant amounts are devoted to the water sector inside NIPs
• Twinning seminars held already in two partner countries
• Along with SMAP III, MEDA regional energy and transport programmes (MED-ENEC and SAFEMED) were also approved by the MED Financing Committee of Member State representatives.

Mr. Egidio Canciani, Commission Task Force Wider Europe, presented the developments regarding financing under the European Neighbourhood Policy. First, there is a short term 2004-2006 coordination of financial instruments totalling € 15 million per year for cross-border cooperation. The July meeting of the MEDA programme is expected to approve partial funding for such cross-border cooperation. A more important financial instrument is expected to be established under the new financial perspectives of the Union for 2007 and beyond.

Mr. Sherif Arif, METAP, described current programmes, in particular the use of the Cost of Environmental Degradation study in the countries, as well as the water and waste management projects in progress.

Mr. Stefan Kerpen, EIB, presented the expanding programmes of the Bank in the Mediterranean region notably:

• the different components of the reinforced FEMIP (SFE - Special FEMIP envelope, creation of a FEMIP trust fund, use of technical assistance, opening of local EIB offices in Rabat and Tunis) adopted by the ECOFIN Council in November 2003,
• the FEMIP technical assistance activities that are focused on the development of the private sector and its enabling environment,
• the organisation of a high-level expert meeting in October 2004 in the Netherlands concerning the environmental/water and infrastructure sector.

Key conclusions:

• SMAP correspondents and other environmental actors need to become more aware of the various funding possibilities afforded by the various EU programmes in the region, in particular National MEDA programmes, so that they can promote the environmental use of these funds
• Synergies should be sought between EU financing and that of other donors. The programmes of MAP and of its regional centres should also be involved in particular in the case of financing of complex issues such as coastal zone management or regional development
• The study on Cost of environmental degradation and the water studies of METAP should be used as policy tools in the countries of the region for developing further their sustainable development policies

SYNERGIES AND PARTNERSHIPS

Mr. Guillaume Benoit, MAP-Blue Plan, and Mr. Ivica Trumbic, MAP-PAP/RAC, made interesting presentations of their respective activities. MAP-Blue Plan provided, in particular, a comprehensive and enlightening summary of the conclusions and recommendations of the “Environment and Development report” on sustainable development in the Mediterranean.

Mrs. Anne Burrill, MAP responsible in DG Environment, presented recent developments inside the Mediterranean Action Programme (MAP) under the Barcelona Convention and in particular the appointment of its new Coordinator Mr. Paul Mifsud of Malta. The European Commission is working to strengthen cooperation with MAP in areas of mutual interest. The process for the development of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development under the auspices of the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development was also described briefly.

Mr. Riegel also presented the development of the Sustainability Impact Assessment of the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area. The team of consultants is now working, a consultation process of all stakeholders will be undertaken in late 2005 and the SIA is expected to be concluded within two years.

Mr. Alban de Villepin, DG Environment, presented the latest round of projects currently under way of the LIFE Third Countries programme. He indicated that it is expected that this programme will continue in 2005 and 2006.

Mr. Murray Biedler, DG AIDCO, presented current developments in the MEDA Local Water Management Programme and its networks of cooperation in the water area.

Mr. Walid Badawi, representing the UNDP made a short presentation of their programme of creating regional centres of excellence, which will be one-stop shops for providing knowledge services in the region. In addition he made an intervention on UNDP's planned regional Water Programme, which will be starting in partnership with the Arab Water Council and will seek to support Arab country efforts to formulate Integrated Water Resources Management Plans.

SMAP correspondent Emmanuèle Leblanc presented the results of the meeting of the "Rendez-Vous Mediterraneen", which had taken place in Marseille on 17 et 18 May 2004.

The contribution from Greece on the Mediterranean component of the EU Water Initiative was also appreciated.

The European Environment Agency was not able to attend the meeting but a record of their Mediterranean activities was sent.

Key conclusions:

• Participants reiterated the need to continue the efforts for reinforcing the synergies identified earlier between regional organisations such as those mentioned above and the programmes and policies of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership
• In this connection MAP and the European Commission are preparing a common programme of collaboration
• The MAP – Blue Plan report on “Environment and Development” in the Mediterranean is a key reference document for the development of further policies and actions in the region

SIDE MEETING WITH NGOs

The Commission met with representatives of the NGO Steering Committee and other NGOs at the margins of the meeting. Views were exchanged on how NGOs can continue to play a significant role in SMAP.

OVERALL CONCLUSIONS

The meeting was instrumental in revitalising the SMAP network of correspondents and of the their partners in the NGO community, the international organisations acting in the area and the European Commission services involved in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Both the funding and the policy development aspects of the network will be pursued in the future through the various means identified at the meeting, so that the SMAP network continues to be an important actor in the Mediterranean.

As regards environmental policy, there was a consensus that more efforts should be deployed to put sustainable development at the core of national policies and of the Barcelona Partnership. It was estimated that the SMAP Correspondents could have a key role to play in this context and that SMAP strategies and modus operandi, as well as the status and role of the SMAP Correspondents might have to be reconsidered and adapted if necessary, in order to best address this problem.

Several new developments in the Partnership were welcomed by the participants, such as the redeployment of the RMSU activities with a view to best addressing the needs of the SMAP Correspondents at national level; the start up of the long-awaited Sustainable Impact Assessment Study of the Euro-Med Free Trade Area; the recently approved SAFEMED project on maritime transport and the forthcoming MED-ENEC project on demand-side management and renewable energy in the construction sector.

The perception of “SMAP III” content and objectives was also seen as very positive, in the light of the acknowledged necessity of drawing the attention of governments to the cost of environmental degradation, helping in the design of national strategies and policies duly incorporating sustainable development objectives, as well as encouraging the adoption of win-win solutions reconciling economic and environmental goals. The value and importance of stakeholder’s participation and the priority to be attached to the protection of the coastal area furnish additional justifications for the targets and the structure adopted for SMAP III.

Commission representatives expressed the intention to take account, as much as possible, of the suggestions that have cropped up at the meeting and to maintain the activity of the SMAP Correspondents cooperation network - partly, but not exclusively, through the RMSU. They also accepted to consider the suggestion from Morocco that the next session of the SMAP Correspondents should be organised in one of the Med Partner Countries as an alternative to Brussels. The representative from Egypt confirmed that her country would host and help in the organisation of a technical workshop proposed by the RMSU, to be held in the next few months.