EU increases refugee assistance to Jordan

AMMAN — The European Union has agreed to increase its assistance to Jordan by 66 million euros to help alleviate the economic woes brought about by the refugee burden, EU Ambassador to Amman Joanna Wronecka said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference on the occasion of European Development Days (EDD), Wronecka said that the EU is the world’s largest donor to respond to the Syrian crisis with the union’s member states’ contributions totalling around 3 billion euros. 

She also said that local economic development is at the heart of the EU’s assistance programme to Jordan, adding that the EU Delegation in Amman has financed several job-generating projects in the country especially outside Amman, in Tafileh, Mafraq, Ramtha and Zarqa.

Officially launching European Year of Development (EYD) 2014, Wronecka said that this year’s EDD will focus on economic development of local communities with the overall message, in the case of Jordan, being: “EU and Jordan: good neighbours united for shared prosperity”.

The ambassador also explained that education outputs not meeting actual market needs is Jordan’s major challenge the same way as it is in European countries, adding that the EU will increase its allocations for vocational training programmes in Jordan from 35 million to 52 million euros.

She also said that the European Commission has decided 2015 to be EYD to coincide with the end of the Millennium Development Goals, voicing hope that the EU would help Jordan achieve its world’s time-bound and quantified targets set by the UN.

The diplomat stressed that the EU is committed to promoting sustainable development and enhance civil organisations in Jordan as part of non-state actor projects in addition to being the Kingdom’s partner in reaching renewable and energy efficiency goals by 2020. As part of local development project, she also said that the EU will work for achieving local economic development and enhancing small- and medium-sized enterprises as a vehicle to reduce unemployment and poverty.

Citing the findings of a recent poll, the ambassador said that 85 per cent of Europeans support the EU’s development assistance to neighbouring states despite economic difficulties sweeping Europe.

She also said that the EU has achieved many success stories in Jordan through Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), adding that many Jordanian women have established successful businesses of local and worldwide fame. “The EU has granted 1,000 direct grants to Jordanians through JEDCO.”

The EU Delegation in Amman has helped carry out twinning programmes between Jordan and European countries.

“Jordan was the first Arab country where we presented a roadmap of dialogue between the state and civil society organisations and NGOs,” she said.

On the EU foreign policy concerning the region, the ambassador highlighted Jordan’s significance to the 28-member union, saying that the Kingdom was the third leg of the regional tour of the newly appointed EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini after Ramallah and Israel.

On November 10, His Majesty King Abdullah held talks with Mogherini in Amman that focused on bilateral cooperation and regional developments.

The EU highly appreciates Jordan’s humanitarian assistance to the Syrian refugees and its ability to preserve its security and stability although it is situated in the heart of a turbulent region, the envoy said, adding Brussels’ priority now is to ease tension in the Middle East to pave the way for the resumption of serious peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, especially in Gaza and Jerusalem to achieve tangible progress in the peace process.