We would also like to:

• reaffirm our commitment to the objective of sustainable human development called for under the Barcelona Declaration, the Work Programme and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Process;
• emphasize the need for greater and more essential participation of civil society in the whole process as a key element leading to regional understanding, efficient co-operation, long lasting peace and sustainable development around the Mediterranean;

make clear that:

• the CdS and the Mediterranean NGOs in general, welcomed the adoption of the SMAP as a framework for cooperation in the field of environment and sustainable development, within the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership;
• The CdS and its NGO's independently have on many occasions proven their commitment and support of the efforts made by the European Commission in the coordination and implementation of the SMAP and have often congratulated the Commission for its efforts in ensuring an innovative process of consultation with NGOs.

At the same time however,

• we would like to convey our deep concern for the very slow pace of progress in implementing the programme and the serious difficulties and delays in transferring funds allocated to it. This can evidently have implications on the project cycle and co funding of successful projects proposals which have to wait several years for SMAP funding.
• the process for approval, and administrative procedures for project implementation have proved to be too time consuming and complicated to the point that they discourage NGOs from participating in new SMAP calls for proposals.

We therefore urge all the competent bodies to:

• Support the SMAP by devoting higher financial resources both in the regional and bilateral envelopes of MEDA.
• Ensure that indicative National budgets dedicate more funds to and be more coherent with the environment.
• Recuperate the strategic dimension of SMAP. SMAP should have an integrated role in the EUMP to enhance and implement a EUMP Sustainable Development Strategy. SMAP should not be treated as a separate strand. Its results should directly support the integration of environment into the main EUMP programmes.
• SMAP should contain a facility to help in project preparation. This could be achieved by creating a pre-proposal submission phase and provide financial and technical support for project development NGOs and local authorities.
• SMAP should include capacity building of Mediterranean NGOs as a priority line in order to increase and make more effective NGO participation in the SMAP programme itself and in the wider EUMP process.
• Facilitate the access of Mediterranean Environmental and Development NGOs to the funds available by:
  a. Simplifying the administrative procedures and restricting some financial technicalities (e.g. bank guarantees).
  b. Giving the possibility for funding small scale project (micro-projects/block grants)
  c. Allowing oral presentation sessions by projects applicants to defend their projects
• Achieve maximum interface and synergies with other regional on-going programmes and projects carried out by the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan and other bodies such as GWP-Med, MedWet etc.
• Address the lack of visibility of SMAP by raising awareness about SMAP at both official and public level. At the public level we suggest the launching of adequate information campaigns to raise awareness of the significance and positive added value of the SMAP.

Terms of Reference for SMAP Correspondents.

SMAP Correspondents are the SMAP institutional focal points, they must have full means to develop their national envelope. A technical assistance bureau with an annual programme, information letter, training sessions, and with full time Program-officers, is crucial for the success of SMAP in the region.

Correspondents must make SMAP more operational, disseminating information and building bridges with other ministries and introducing it into the National Indicative Programmes - NIPs. The bridge building process between different ministries is an essential element in explaining and operationalising environmental integration into all sectors. There should be a special focus on getting the message across to foreign ministries.

The Correspondents network needs to be completed and enhanced and a broader participation of NGOs promoted. Correspondents are called on to work more closely with NGOs to get the added value of their input.

SMAP correspondents should share national experiences and look for synergies with other correspondents at national and global level. Furthermore, SMAP correspondents should strengthen communication with EU delegations in partner countries.

For the national envelope, the environmental content of the programme is determined by the partner country. To secure more money for the environment, correspondents have to fight for it at home. The Commission can help correspondents in this task by providing them with the latest SMAP information and more of it . The quality of information needs to be improved, especially on SMAP procedures. Correspondents need to be aware of problems that arise and receive regular updates on how they are being dealt with.

An EUMP Sustainable development strategy- Environmental Integration in view of the MFTA.

During the first five years of the Partnership, relatively little has been done to anticipate the environmental stress likely to be caused by trade policies relating to the establishment of the proposed MFTZ. In order to avoid or to mitigate some of the environmental pressures anticipated to result from the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership's trade policy and to actively promote potential environmental opportunities opened up by the Partnership, the following measures are recommended:

1. A Euro-Mediterranean Sustainability Strategy needs to be developed in the run-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development. A strong mechanism within the Euro-Med Partnership is needed to implement the sustainability strategy and coordinate environmental programmes and policies so as to ensure that sustainability concerns are fully integrated into the overall Euro-Med policy initiatives. The Strategy should clearly identify objectives that need to be achieved in order to make development in the Mediterranean region ecologically and socially sustainable.
2. Sustainability Impact Assessments. An officially sponsored Sustainability Impact assessment should be carried out immediately on the proposed free trade zone and its recommendations incorporated into all Euro-Med policies. The assessment should include a preparatory analysis and further on, large public consultation in MEDA countries. Assessments of the bilateral agreements should be part of this process.
3. Sustainability Indicators and Targets. In line with existing practice regarding trade liberalisation measures under bilateral agreements, Euro-Med agreements and policies should designate specific sustainability indicator targets, with reasonable schedules and finances necessary for achieving them. These targets should be effectively addressed by all policies and programmes developed in the liberalisation process and not just attributed to sectoral environmental policies.
4. Incorporation of Environmental Aspects in Bilateral and Regional Agreements. Environmental concerns and objectives need to be fully integrated into the negotiation and implementation of the EU-Mediterranean Partner countries bilateral association agreements, as well as at the regional level, both in the work of existing sectoral fora (energy, transport, industry, Water, information society) as well as in the new potential priority areas of agriculture and tourism, which form the basis of the Euro-Med economic partnership. The environment should also be integrated into the new regional social programme.
5. Higher Environmental Standards and Enforcement. Any trade agreement negotiated by the EU should give incentives for the upward movement of environmental standards instead of downward harmonisation.
6. Environmental Protocols. Environmental Protocols should be added to the already existing association agreements to commit partners to the measures listed above.
7. No Environmentally Harmful Tariff Reduction and Elimination of Non-Tariff Measures. Tariffs and non tariff barriers should not be reduced or eliminated when their reductions is anticipated to encourage environmental damage. The extend of the potential damages should be defined by the Sustainability Impact Assessment.
8. Avoid Environmentally Harmful Services Liberalisation. Trade liberalisation in the following sectors can have tremendous environmental consequences: energy, transport, water, tourism, mining, sewage and waste disposal. Environmental protection norms need to be observed in these areas at the same level that the economic considerations.
9. Environmental Screening of Official Euro-Med Finance. All significant financing undertaken within the framework of Euro-Med institutions (e.g. MEDA and EIB), or between Euro-Med governments (e.g. via export credit agencies) should undergo prior sustainability screening, especially funds that promote industrial and/or infrastructure expansion. In cases in which projects receive funding despite limited environmental damage, matching funds should be made available for necessary mitigation and/or compensation measures.
10. Towards a Sustainable MEDA. Stated commitments to environmental goals in the new MEDA must be backed up by effective implementation in the field. MEDA should notably support the development and implementation of National Strategies for Sustainable Development (NSSD) in the partner countries, which all UN Member States have committed to establish and adopt by the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002, and in co-operation with the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development (MCSD) and the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP).
11. Capacity Building. Programmes to develop technical and professional capacity both at the governmental and private sector levels (including local NGOs), need to be implemented in order to identify and address trade-environment issues.
12. Debt Relief. Debt relief by EU creditor nations, especially in the form of debt-for-nature swaps, could alleviate the fiscal strain on MPC government revenues, since debt service currently constrains governments from implementing necessary projects.
13. Public Awareness - Participation and Transparency. The scale and importance of interventions under MEDA require large scale information, education and mobilisation of the public on all relevant issues. Incorporation of multiple stakeholders into the Euro-Med decision-making process should be developed and integrated throughout the various levels of Euro-Med policies and activities with immediate effect, including granting of observer status to environmental and other NGO representatives at policy planning fora and releasing of draft association texts on the internet for public comment.

Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED)
Environment and Development Action in the Third World (ENDA)
European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Mediterrnean NGO Network for Ecology and Sustainable Development (MEDForum)
Friends of the Earth (FoE Mednet Programme)
Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE)
WWF Mediterranean Programme (WWF/MEDPO)