Financing
Financing instruments for the MED component of the EU Water Initiative
The EUWI aims at improved coordination and effective streamlining of donor assistance. The EC does not foresee a new financial instrument for this purpose, but rather the better coordination of existing ones. For the Med components, the main EU instruments are:
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MEDA programme for Med Partner Countries who have signed the Euro-Med Partnership. The MEDA-Water programme is financing some activities of the Med-EUWI in the framework of the MEDA-Water Regional and Monitoring Unit.
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CARDS programme for the countries from the Western Balkan countries
Complementary funding can also be provided by EU Member States and national or international financial institutions (World Bank, Arab Development Bank, African Development Bank, UN agencies, etc.). A statistical overview of aid to the Mediterranean water sector has been published by the OECD Environment Directorate for 10th multi-stakeholder meeting (Brussels, 2004-03-16).
Today, the financial resources needed to support the administrative costs entailed by the Initiative are jointly provided by the European Commission and EU Member States (chair or co-chair of components or working groups). Members of the Multi-stakeholder Forums are auto finance their participation and contributions to the development of this Initiative.
In recognition of the central role financing plays in implementing the emerging joint action programmes, a separate Finance Component (led by the UK) is under development.