EU supports Tunisia control water sources pollution

The EU's financial support and transfer of expertise to Tunisia in the area of control of pollution of water sources in the framework of the EU-funded LIFE-Third Countries programme is the focus of the latest Eurojar feature published in the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat.

The article says the programme allowed the country to acquire three mobile laboratories to monitor the degree of water pollution in the northern regions as well as a permanent laboratory south of the capital Tunis, and to train local staff to carry out water analysis.

"Water analysis and monitoring was done in the past by separate bodies following different methods and without any coordination between them. Today, all of them use a common method and standards," said one of the experts in water analysis. Thanks to the new human and scientific resources obtained by the National Agency for Environmental Protection under the programme, 33 estuary, valley and dam areas have been monitored by carrying out 5,882 analyses between early 2007 and late June 2009, which allowed a better knowledge of sources of water pollution.

LIFE is the European Union's financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the Union and in some candidate and neighbouring countries. Since 1992, LIFE has co-financed some 2,750 projects for a total of €1.35 billion.

Eurojar is one of 13 projects funded across the ENPI under EuropeAid's €19 million Regional Information and Communication Programme, which seeks to increase awareness and understanding among the citizens of the area, about the EU, its policies and relations with their countries. The Eurojar budget amounts to €1.5 million and the project will last for one year. As well as Al-Hayat, it publishes articles highlighting EU cooperation in L'Orient Le Jour and Le Commerce du Levant, and broadcasts weekly reportages on LBCI and LBCSat.

(ENPI Info Centre)  

Eurojar article in Al-Hayat - Tunisia monitors the contamination of its water sources thanks to theEuropean Union (AR only) 

EU Delegation to Tunisia - website 

LIFE Programme