SMAP Programme

Background

 SMAP Programme

Short and Medium Term Environmental Priority Action Programme for the Mediterranean (SMAP) SMAP I: € 5,3 million EC Financing: SMAP II: € 25,1 million SMAP III: € 13,4 million SMAP I: Ended Projects Ending Date: SMAP II: Ended SMAP III: 30th June 2009

• SMAP is a key environmental component of the Euro Mediterranean Partnership. It covers 10 countries in the southern Mediterranean region: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Gaza and the West Bank.

The first and second phases of SMAP are concluded and the third one will finish in June 2009:  SMAP I (1998-2005): Focused on demonstration and innovation projects in the Mediterranean region. SMAP I funded 6 projects covering agriculture, water, waste, hotspots and biodiversity, and ICZM  SMAP II (2001 – 2008) had five priorities for interventions and funded 7 projects working on: - Integrated Water Management , - Integrated Waste Management, - Hot Spots (polluted areas & threatened biodiversity zones) - Integrated Coastal Zone Management - Combating Desertification.

 SMAP III (2005-2009) focuses on two main objectives: - Promoting Sustainable Development (SD) strategies and policies in the Mediterranean. - Assisting the development of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), ensuring an adequate balance between environmental, economic and social aims. This includes the co-financing of 9 ICZM pilot projects across the region. • A Regional Management Support Unit for SMAP II and a Technical Assistance for SMAP III have also been contracted by the EC to support policy and institutional strengthening, to promote environmental cooperation at regional level, and to follow up and assist the implementation of the SMAP projects.

 Horizon 2020 The EC Communication establishing an environment strategy for the Mediterranean includes ‘Horizon 2020’ as a key pillar of that strategy and as an initiative to tackle the top sources of the Mediterranean pollution by the year 2020. H2020 was endorsed at the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference held in Cairo in November 2006. H2020 groups planned activities under four headings:

 Projects to reduce the most significant sources of pollution. Initial focus is on industrial emissions, municipal waste and urban waste water, which are responsible for up to 80% of Mediterranean Sea pollution.  Capacity building measures to help neighboring countries create national environmental administrations that are able to develop and police environmental laws.  Using the Commission's research budget to develop greater knowledge of environmental issues relevant to the Mediterranean and ensure this is shared. The experience from the LIFE programme and SMAP will be shared between the partners.  Developing indicators to monitor the success of Horizon 2020.

 The Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MDSS) At the 12th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (Monaco, November 2001) the 21 Mediterranean rim countries and the EC decided to prepare a “Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development”. They requested the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development (MCSD) of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) to develop a draft, which was endorsed at The 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on the Environment (Athens, July 2002). The Strategy will be reviewed by MCSD every two years, and revised every five years. The Strategy is structured around 4 objectives and 7 interlinked priority fields action. Thirty-four indicators are annexed to enable the follow-up of the Strategy. The 4 main objectives are:  To contribute to economic development by enhancing Mediterranean assets  To reduce social disparities by implementing the UN Millenium Development Goals and improve cultural integration  To change unsustainable production and consumption patterns and ensure the sustainable management of natural resources  To improve governance at the local, national, and regional levels. The 7 priority fields of action are water resources; energy management and addressing impacts of climate change; transport; tourism; urban development; agriculture and management of the sea; coastal areas and marine resources.