An ambitious initiative to de-pollute the Mediterranean region by 2020 will be launched at a high-level Euro-Mediterranean Partnership meeting in Barcelona on 19 December.
The ‘Horizon 2020’ initiative was endorsed by the heads of state and government of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership at their Barcelona summit on 27-28 November. The 19 December meeting, which is convened by the European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, will kick off a broad stakeholder consultation with the aim of establishing a detailed action plan’ for the initiative by the end of next year. Environment ministers from the Mediterranean region, including host-country minister Cristina Narbona, will attend the meeting.
Commissioner Dimas said: “The environment of the Mediterranean Sea region is in need of urgent attention and action. Heads of state and government of the Mediterranean countries recognised this last month when they agreed to de-pollute the region by 2020, as proposed by the European Commission. I have convened this meeting so that we can kick off immediately the process of identifying the actors, priority actions, timetable and financial resources needed for a roadmap to be agreed during 2006.” He underlined that the objective of ‘Horizon 2020’ cannot be achieved without active and concerted efforts by all those with a stake in the Mediterranean environment.
Despite a number of ongoing efforts to protect it, the Mediterranean Sea and its shores suffer a number of environmental problems owing to pollution from various sources, including emissions from industrial activities, municipal waste management and urban wastewater pollution as a result of growing tourism.
The Barcelona meeting will bring together a wide range of stakeholders to discuss their possible contributions: representatives of national environmental authorities in the Mediterranean region, Mediterranean cities and regions, environment agencies, the business sector and NGOs. The European Environment Agency and the UN Environment Programme’s Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP-MAP) will be key partners. International financial institutions, including the European Investment Bank and the World Bank, will also be represented. At their summit, Euro-Mediterranean Partnership leaders stressed the importance of adequate financing for the success of ‘Horizon 2020.’
Strengthened cooperation with Mediterranean partners
‘Horizon 2020’ is part of a renewed EU push for cooperation with its Mediterranean partners in the context of both the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (the ‘Barcelona process’) and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The Union has already concluded ENP Action Plans with most of its southern and eastern Mediterranean neighbours. These plans aim at closer cooperation in key political, economic and social areas, including the environment.
In total, the EU has devoted EUR 577 million to environmental cooperation with Mediterranean partner countries in the period 1995 to 2006 under the MEDA programme, the EU’s principal financial instrument for implementing the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The outcome of the current discussions on the EU budget for the period 2007-2013 will establish the amounts to be devoted to environmental cooperation in the Mediterranean under the European Neighbourhood Policy financial Instrument.
EU assistance will also be provided for environmental cooperation with the Balkan countries and Turkey. These countries will also participate in the initiative to de-pollute the Mediterranean.
