A PACKAGE worth 149 million euros, representing funds pledged within the 2008 Annual Action Programme under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), is being made available to Egypt. Under the ENPI, a package of 558 million euros of financial support will be given to Egypt between 2007 and 2010. The focus of the programmes financed under the 2008 package will be on education, reforms in the transport sector, improvement of water and waste water services and support for civil society. A further 80 million euros will go to supporting reforms in the transport sector covering administrative, regulatory and legal issues in the land, rail and inland waterway sectors. The overall aim of the reforms is to improve access and quality of transport. In addition, 20 million euros will be provided to reinforce the European Commission's ongoing 120 million euro education sector support programme. Educational reform is a key element of the Egyptian government's reform agenda being supported by several donors. The overall aim is to improve quality and access to education, particularly to disadvantaged children, while improving cost effectiveness and financial sustainability. Furthermore, the 2008 package includes 29 million euros to improve water and waste water services. Together with other European donors such as the German KFW and the European Investment Bank, in addition to funds allocated by the Egyptian government, a total of 295 million euros are being invested to improve water quality as well as wastewater services which will reflect on the lives of more than four million people in several governorates. Finally, 17 million euros will be focussed on civil and political rights, women, child and environmental rights, and supporting both government institutions and civil society organisations. Moreover, three million euros are also being provided to support the Egyptian government's efforts to improve good governance in public administration. Over and above, 15 million euros have been made available under the Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) to support multi-donor projects in the solar energy and water sectors.
