Egypt and the European Union signed a €75 million financing agreement to support local-level socio-economic reforms, in a move aimed at improving public services and expanding economic opportunities in vulnerable communities, the planning ministry said Thursday. The deal, titled EU Support to the Implementation of Socio-Economic Reforms at Local Level, was signed by Egypt's Minister of Planning Rania Al-Mashat and European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica, and witnessed by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President António Costa during the EU–Egypt Summit in Brussels. The programme is funded under the 2024 allocations of the EU's Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe) and includes co-financing from Germany. Al-Mashat said the initiative underscores the two sides' commitment to advancing their strategic partnership through integrated development programmes that improve living conditions in low-income areas. The programme aims to enhance access to essential services—such as education, healthcare, and water—while fostering job creation and resilience among low-income households and refugees. It forms part of the sixth pillar of the Egypt–EU Strategic Partnership, focusing on Demographic and Human Capital, and supports Egypt's wider economic reform agenda to mitigate the social impacts of global and regional challenges. Implementation will involve multiple national partners, including the ministry of health, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA), the Urban Development Fund (UDF), and the General Organisation for Physical Planning (GOPP), in coordination with the ministry of planning. The agreement builds on broader EU–Egypt cooperation. In December 2024, the European Parliament approved the first phase of a €1 billion Macro-Financial Assistance and Budget Support package, disbursed to Egypt in early 2025, highlighting the growing depth of bilateral economic ties. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: Y.Yasser
