EU Grants Lebanon 22 Million Euros for Democratic Reform
The European Union announced on Thursday granting Lebanon 22 million euros in support of democratic reform and stability programs in the country.
The EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule said the grant conforms with the European mission to “deepen democracy and enhance social inclusiveness and stability in the country”.
"The EU is proving its strong commitment to its partnership with the neighboring country and considerably strengthening the impact of the cooperation with Lebanon,” Fule's statement added.
The funding is provided as part of the regional Support to Partnership Reform and Inclusive Growth (SPRING) program which aims to promote “sustainable democratic reforms in targeted areas such as the protection of human rights, electoral reform and social stability”.
The grant to Lebanon will be spent on three programs aiming at supporting civil society and public administration to improve human rights records in the country, reforming the electoral system and providing assistance to upgrade the infrastructure in Palestinian refugee camps.
The President of the EU Commission Jose Manuel Barroso had announced during Prime Minister Najib Miqati's visit to Brussels in April 2012 that Lebanon would benefit from the SPRING program and thus, receive additional financial support to promote democratic reforms and development.
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