Discussions are taking place between the European Commission (EC) and the Egyptian government regarding the forthcoming Egyptian parliamentary elections, said Ambassador Marc Franco, the head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Cairo. Franco said the EC is offering financial support to non-governmental civil society organizations and the National Council for Human Rights for monitoring the elections. During an iftar party organized by the EC in Cairo on Thursday, Franco said the EC are cooperating with the Egyptian Government and civil organizations to develop programs to support human rights issues. He said that €50 million has been denoted for this purpose, with €2-3 million earmarked specifically for the support of NGOs. He also said that part of the money intended for these organizations is set aside for raising public awareness about the elections. "Part of our role is to monitor the Egyptian media, which we will be doing during the elections," he said. He pointed to the importance of the media in strengthening Egyptian-European relations and in accurately reporting events taking place in Egypt to the rest of the world as well as within the country. "Egypt will be going through a very significant phase in the coming months and we expect to see acute competition in the elections," said Franco. He went on to say, "I am sure there will be open and fair coverage of these events." Franco described freedom of opinion and expression in Egypt as "maturing" and he praised the role of media organizations in the country. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
