EU commits to provide 364m euros in grants to Jordan

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh and EU Ambassador to Jordan Maria Hadjitheodosiou on Monday signed a joint declaration in which the EU committed to providing aid in the form of grants worth 364 million euros to the Kingdom until 2024, with an average annual grant of 91 million euros.

Shraideh highlighted the historical and strategic nature of Jordan-EU relations, which have witnessed “a quantum leap” in recent years as a result of the efforts of His Majesty King Abdullah and his continuous meetings with EU officials in the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament, according to a Planning Ministry statement.

Shraideh said that these grants represent part of a broader effort to support the Jordanian government in a number of economic, political and administrative development and reform endeavours.

Grants will be directed towards supporting a package of development programmes and projects intended to bolster governance, green transformation, human development, and civil institutions. 

The development programmes are in line with national plans and the outcomes of the Jordanian-European Partnership Council meeting, which was held in Jordan on June 2, 2022.

Similarly, the minister also signed a grant agreement, according to which the EU will provide Jordan with 40 million euros to support the Kingdom’s Green Economy Programme over the course of five years. 

The grant will specifically target Jordan’s 2021-2025 National Action Plan for Green Growth, which focuses on sustainable and efficient industrial production and consumption as well as the sustainable management of resources in the energy, water, agriculture and transportation sectors.

Shraideh also underlined the importance of the EU-Jordan investment platform as a framework to mobilise support for strategic projects, including PPP projects, as well as attracting investment.

Expressing appreciation of the EU, Shraideh also commended the EU member states, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for their pledges to support the National Water Carrier project by providing 1 billion euros in grants and loans.

Shraideh noted that work is underway to prepare a three-year executive programme to enable Jordan to deal with the repercussions of global issues and shift towards economic recovery, which requires the support of Jordan's partners.

Hadjitheodosiou welcomed the signing of the joint declaration, adding that the programme’s priorities embody the EU’s and Jordan’s common goals for peace, stability, security, democracy and the rule of law, providing a framework for ongoing and enhanced political and operational engagement, particularly regarding the green transition, which aims to develop an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive economy after COVID-19.

The ambassador also noted that the EU will provide 25 million euros to Jordan granted by the Food and Resilience Facility.