SMAP concluded

With the SMAP Final Regional Seminar: Achievements and Prospectives for the Future, that took place on 18-19 February 2009 in Alexandria, Egypt, this important EU initiative, developed in the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, was concluded. More than 160 participants attended the seminar that was welcomed by H.E. Maged George, Minister of Environment of Egypt, H.E. Adel Labib, Governor of Alexandria, and H.E. Klaus Ebermann, Head of the EC Delegation in Egypt. After presenting the overall SMAP programme the seminar focused on its components, i.e. Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean, ICZM, Communication and Awareness Raising, and Lessons Learnt and Future Perspectives.

PAP/RAC and its partners played an important role in the project implementation and were satisfied with the results achieved. This project component had the objectives of addressing high-level policy-makers and raising awareness at the highest governmental level in the SMAP countries. This was achieved by the promotion of the Report on Development and Environment in the Mediterranean by the Blue Plan, preparation of the policy briefs and promotion of ICZM tools by METAP, and by preparing new policy measures (ICZM strategies, IZCM Committees, Master Plan and alike) requested by various international agreements such as ICZM Protocol, promotion of awareness via the Coast Day initiative and the nomination of the Ambassadors for the Coast, preparation of the ICZM Marketing and Awareness Strategy, as well as by organising a series of meetings, training sessions, and a regional workshop on IZCM Policy by PAP/RAC.

With regard to the lessons learnt, the needs of the region (environmental problems, implementation of the ICZM Protocol) and an enhanced EU partnership with the Mediterranean (Union for the Mediterranean) it is expected that the EU and other donors will develop and propose new programmes of co-operation in order to carry on with successful networks and benefit from experience gained by the project.  

The project was implemented in 10 SMAP Mediterranean countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority (the West Bank and Gaza), Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the EU. Project partners were PAP and Blue Plan RACs from UNEP-MAP, and the METAP of the World Bank. They implemented the component “Promoting Awareness and Enabling Policy Framework for Environment and Development Integration in the Mediterranean with Focus on ICZM”. Find more: SMAP EU, SMAP III and Coast Day.