Lebanon: EU funds major programme to reform environmental governance

Lebanese Environment Minister Mohamad Al Mashnouk has announced the launch of an EU-funded programme supporting environmental governance reforms in Lebanon (StREG). The programme has benefited from an EU grant of €8 million and will be managed through the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

A press release said the programme was one of the biggest and most important environmental programmes in the history of the Ministry of Environment.

"StREG is a programme which is helping us in governance, not only at the Ministry of Environment but also in all ministries because we believe that we are going to be the model of this change," Machnouk said. He added: "I think that by the time we reach the end of this programme, we will have many ministries wishing to do the same, and I want to thank the EU for this big help."

Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, Head of the Delegation of the European Union, highlighted the support of the EU and the objectives of the StREG programme that aim to help the Lebanese government to build on previous successful examples of environmental governance.

"This programme is part of a broader environmental package of the European Union for Lebanon, which includes waste management and coastal zone protection, one of the priorities of this Government," she added.