EN    EN EN 
 
EN    EN  EUROPEAN COMMISSION  
Brussels, 12.5.2010 
SEC(2010) 525 final 
  
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
Accompanying the 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION  
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIA MENT AND THE COUNCIL 
Taking stock of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) 
 
Implementation of the Europe an Neighbourhood Policy in 2009 
Progress Report Jordan  
 
  
 
{COM(2010) 207 final} 
{SEC(2010) 513 final} {SEC(2010) 514 final} {SEC(2010) 515 final} {SEC(2010) 516 final} {SEC(2010) 517 final} {SEC(2010) 518 final} {SEC(2010) 519 final} {SEC(2010) 520 final} {SEC(2010) 521 final} {SEC(2010) 522 final} {SEC(2010) 523 final} {SEC(2010) 524 final} 
 
 
EN 2   EN 1. BACKGROUND AND OVERALL ASSESSMENT  
Jordan and the European Community first esta blished contractual rela tions in 1977 by signing 
a Cooperation Agreement. An EU-Jordan Associ ation Agreement entered into force in 2002. 
It sets out in more detail the specific areas in which the relations can be developed bilaterally. 
On this basis, the EU-Jordan ENP Action Plan  was approved in January 2005, for a period of 
three to five years. It supports  the national reform process, ar ticulated in Jordan’s ten-year 
national agenda and the initiative “ We are all Jordan”  which form the basis for Jordan’s 
National Social and Economic Development Pr ogramme. The framework for regional co-
operation is the Euro-Mediterran ean Partnership, in augurated in 1995 and reinforced in 2008 
with the creation of the Union for the Mediterra nean (UfM), which establishes a policy with 
ambitious and long-term objectives. 
EU–Jordan meetings took place at the level of  the Association Council, the Association 
Committee and the eleven subcommittees, of wh ich ten were activate d. During the reporting 
period the fourth round of subcommittee meetings was completed. 
This document reports on progress made on th e implementation of the EU-Jordan ENP Action 
Plan between 1 January and 31 December 2009, although developments outside this period 
are also taken into consideration when deemed relevant. It is not  a general review of the 
political and economic situation in Jordan. In addition, for info rmation on regional and 
multilateral sector processes, please refer to the sectoral report. 
In November 2009 the EU reiterated the commitme nt to further strengthen the relations with 
Jordan within the framework of the Europ ean Neighbourhood Policy. Th e EU values Jordan 
as a very important partner in both the EN P and the Union for the Mediterranean and is 
committed to further developing a close, construc tive and mutually beneficial partnership. As 
the expiry of the current ENP Action Plan approaches, the next Action Plan is being 
developed to further deepen and broaden EU-J ordan relations through intensified political 
dialogue. This dialogue will incl ude the area of human rights a nd democracy as an important 
element of enhancement of relations, strength en co-operation in a number of sectors and 
promote Jordan’s participation in certain EU programmes. The EU has acknowledged the 
efforts of Jordan to move forward with ambitious political and economic reforms. The 
“enhanced status” will be based on the core values the EU and Jordan share, i.e. democratic principles including the rule of law, the respect for human rights and the organisation of fair 
and transparent elections. 
In this context, a meeting at senior officials’ level of the “ Ad hoc  Group” was held in 
November 2009 focussing on the enhancement of relations.  
The last quarter of 2009 witnessed important changes on the political scene. King Abdullah 
dissolved the Parliament in November 2009 and called for pre-term elections. A new 
government was appointed in December 2009, task ed with an ambitious reform programme 
notably touching upon economic recovery and deve lopment of key sectors such as energy and 
transport, good governance, transparency and effi ciency of the public service, decentralisation 
and citizens' participation.  
Progress was made in the area of governance and tr ansparency, with the start of work of the 
Ombudsman office and the adoption of a code of conduct streamlining the relationship 
between the Government and the media. Some  progress was made in the areas of human 
rights and fundamental freedoms, such as wome n’s protection against domestic violence and 
 
EN 3   EN equal treatment, the rights of the child and th e fight against human trafficking. Moreover, 
some progress was made in the fields of transport, renewable energy, and science and 
technology. 
2. ENHANCED POLITICAL DIALOGUE AND REFORM  
Democracy and the rule of law 
Regarding electoral  reform, King Adbullah tasked the ne w Government (which took office in 
December 2009) to amend the “Elections Law” in view of the new parliamentary elections 
(expected no later than 2010), further to the diss olution of the Parliament in November 2009. 
The envisaged amendments should improve inter alia  the access of women and some social 
groups to the new Parliament. The King stressed th at the next elections "should be a model of 
transparency, fairness and integrity”. 
Furthermore, the new Government pledged tr ansparency and accountability and adopted a 
code of conduct to streamline the relationshi p between the Government and the media, 
including the activa tion of the role of spokesp ersons, daily meetings with the press, bi-weekly 
press briefings and bi-monthly press conference.  The implementation of the code of conduct 
in practice remains to be seen. 
Both Jordan’s National Agenda and the Na tional Economic and Social Development 
Programme 2009-2011 emphasise the need to  enhance the independence of the  judiciary, 
notably to lessen the administra tive dependency of courts upon the Ministry of Justice.  
Further progress on good governance and transparency was made as Jordan's Ombudsman  
bureau, established in 2008, became operational, i.  e. receiving complaints from the public, in 
February 2009. Over the reporti ng period, the Bureau received over 2,700 complaints out of 
which 1.100 were accepted. In June 2009, a firs t Ombudsman was appointed. Efforts were 
made to raise citizens’ awareness on the ro le of the Ombudsman including through public 
information campaigns. In December 2009, th e Ombudsman joined the Mediterranean 
Association of Ombudsmen. The Ombudsman Bur eau is currently prep aring to join the 
International Ombudsman Institute. 
As regards perception of corruption , Jordan was ranked performing far better than most 
countries in the region. In December 2009, the Pr ime Minister pledged “zero tolerance” for 
corruption which constitutes a t op priority of the Government. 
Human rights and fundamental freedoms 
The UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on the fulfilment of human rights  obligations by 
Jordan took place in February 2009. The review highlighted issues such as women’s and children’s rights, freedom of e xpression, freedom of associati on, situation in the prisons, 
administrative detention, workers’ rights, et c. Jordan endorsed 53 and rejected 23 UPR 
recommendations. The UPR on Jordan was co ncluded in the UN Human Rights Council 
session in June 2009 and Jordan was also re-elect ed in 2009 for a three-year term to the UN 
Human Rights Council. 
Progress can also be reported as regards  detention conditions. The National Centre for 
Human Rights (NHCR) and the Public Security  Directorate signed in  2009 a Memorandum of 
Understanding allowing unannounced visits to the facilities by several lawyers. 
 
EN 4   EN Following criticism by non-governmental orga nisations (NGOs) notably as regards the 
administrative and legal framework for non- governmental organisations, a revised and 
partially improved “Associations Act”  entered into force in September 2009. The amended 
law no longer includes the possibi lity of imprisonment for br eaches of the law. However, 
concerns remain over the conditions under wh ich an NGO can be created, controlled and 
financed. For example, registration of an asso ciation continues to de pend on the approval of 
the Registration Administration Board and gr ounds to deny are not clearly detailed. In 
practice, it is still too early to  assess the actual impact of the implementation of the new law 
for the NGOs. 
Jordan continues to apply a de facto  moratorium on the death penalty  executions since May 
2006. Four death sentences were issued in 2009. Jordan has not yet ratified the 2nd Optional 
Protocol to the International Cove nant on Civil and Political rights. 
Some progress was made as regards the fight against torture  and ill-treatment . In 2009, the 
definition of torture under th e Jordanian legislation was brought in line with the UN 
Convention against Torture. Jordan has not ye t ratified the Optional Protocol to this 
Convention. According to the NCHR the number of complaints  of ill-treatment decreased 
during the reporting period. 
Jordan advanced in the international indexes on  press freedom . However, some concerns 
remain as regards the application of the Pena l Code. The existing Press and Publications Law  
still authorises the imprisonment of journali sts and foresees the imposition of fines on 
journalists (a few cases were  reported in 2009) and encourag es self-censorship. The EU 
contributes to enhancing the professionalism of j ournalists in Jordan and promoting respect of 
human rights and freedom of the press by supporting the “Jordan Media Institute”. 
Regarding freedom of assembly , the Public Gathering Law  introduced some limited positive 
developments, e.g.  the tacit approval in the absence of response 24 hours after the request. In 
addition, 14 categories of gath ering do no longer require prio r approval. However, prior 
authorisation of the relevant  Governor is still required for most public gatherings. 
Jordan has nine pending reports under the UN Treaty Bodies. It has issued a standing 
invitation to all thematic procedures (2006). The visit of a UN Special Rapporteur on violence 
against women is pending since 2007. 
Jordan continued to make progress in improving the overall situation of women,  notably 
concerning the protection agains t domestic violence and equal treatment. However, further 
steps are needed to ensure effective protecti on of women against all forms of discrimination 
and violence in law and practice. In March 2009, Jordan lifted its reservation to the articles of 
the Convention on the Elimination of All Form s of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) 
which restricted movement of persons and fr eedom to choose residence. Women are now 
allowed to travel without permission from fath er, brother or husband and to choose their place 
of residence. The Civil Status Code was amended accordingly. However, Jordan still maintains reservations related to the transmissi on of nationality to ch ildren (affecting more 
than 12,000 women married to non-Jord anians) and to inheritance right s. It is not party to the 
optional protocol of CEDAW. 
Some progress can be reported as regards  honour crimes (some 20 cases still occur every 
year), following the Ministry of Justice’s de cision to establish in August 2009 a special court 
to handle cases of honour killings . In October 2009 the court issued its firs t verdict, imposing 
 
EN 5   EN a 15 years imprisonment sentence on a man w ho committed an honour crime. However, 
additional efforts are needed to further treat ca ses of honour crimes as or dinary crimes and to 
make sentences less lenient.  
The first Women’s Complaint Bureau, launch ed in February 2009, addresses domestic 
violence and labour issues that women f ace, especially spousal abuse, workplace 
discrimination and sexual harassment. The office is responsible for collecting national data on 
violence against women and issuing an annual re port with its findings. Furthermore, the main 
ministries pursued the policy of gender main streaming by setting up dedicated gender units. 
Jordan pursued the progress made over th e last years in the protection of the rights of the 
child . Actions were undertaken in 2009, in cooperation with UNICEF, to eliminate child 
labour (32,000 children affected) by means of inspector traini ng, contacts with parents and 
schools and a social support centre in Amma n. As regards combating violence against 
children in all settings, an action plan agai nst teacher practices was launched to reduce 
violence against students by 90% in three years. A programme addressing high drop-out rates 
is in place. 
Regarding fundamental social rights  and core labour standards , no progress can be 
reported on the ratification of the ILO C onvention on the freedom of association and 
protection of the right to organise (n° 87).  
Overall, the situation of migrant workers (22.5 % of the Jordanian labour force) remains a 
concern. Over the reporting period the Ministry  of Labour submitted proposals on regulations 
on migrant workers and intended to put in pl ace the ILO decent work programmes, which 
protect their rights. In 2009, the Labour Code  was amended to cover the employment of 
migrant domestic workers. However, in order to meet the Action Plan commitments, Jordan needs to commit further on this issue, especially  as regards the protec tion of female migrant 
domestic workers who are particularly vulnerable.  
Cooperation on foreign and security policy, regional and international issues, conflict 
prevention and crisis management 
Jordan kept a regular dialogue with the EU on CFSP -related matters and international issues. 
Jordan remains a strong supporter of a comprehe nsive solution to the MEPP and continues to 
play a constructive role in promoting the stability of the region. The country continued to advocate, both bilaterally and in international fora, the resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian 
negotiations . 
Jordan's commitment in further developing the Union for the Mediterranean was also 
acknowledged by the appointment after the reporting period in  January 2010 of Ambassador 
Ahmad Masa’deh as its first Secretary-General. 
Jordan, which was by the end of 2009 the sevent h largest contributor of military and police 
personnel to UN international peacekeeping operations  worldwide, continued to participate in 
various operations notably by de ploying its forces in Congo, Li beria, the Ivory Coast and 
Haiti.  
Jordan is still hosting a large number of Iraqi refugees, the overall number of whom however 
remains disputed. By the end of September 2009, th e total number of Iraqi  refugees registered 
by the UNHCR in Jordan was over 46,000 (in contrast with 500,000 Iraqi refugees reported 
 
EN 6   EN by the Jordanian Government). The Jordanian Mini stry of Health continued to provide free 
preventive and primary health care to Iraqis and Iraqi children (more than 27 000) also 
continued to be able to  attend government schools. 
3. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL REFORM  
Macroeconomic framework and functioning of the market economy 
After the recent period of robust growth, GDP growth moderated to 3% in 2009 on account of 
the indirect impact of the global economic cr isis. The slowdown has affected growth in a 
number of sectors, particularly  construction, real estate, and e xport industries. Investment fell 
sharply, driven by a decline in FDI from surrounding Arab states as oil earnings have shrunk. 
Remittances from Jordanians working abroa d, which account for roughly 20% of GDP also 
fell but less than feared. Inflation has been de clining since th e third quarter of 2008 with the 
Consumer Price Index (CPI) go ing into negative territory in  the second quarter of 2009. 
Average inflation for 2009 is expected to be  about 1%. Despite th e slowdown, unemployment 
is not expected to rise markedly given the la rge number of migrant workers in the sectors 
most affected. 
Both trade and current account balance are se t to narrow. The current account deficit is 
expected to shrink from 11.9% of GDP in 2008 to around 6.5% of GDP in 2009, strongly 
influenced by the decline in food and fuel pr ices. Jordan's banking sector has not been 
seriously affected by the global economic cr isis on account of limited exposure to 
international property and equity markets. As a precautionary measure, the Government 
guaranteed all bank deposits until  the end of 2009. Jordan’s lim ited integration with global 
financial markets has buffered it from the direct impact of the global financial crisis. To deal 
with the impact of the crisis, the Central Bank of  Jordan (CBJ) cut interest rates three times up 
to April 2009 bringing the benchmark rate to  5.25% (the lowest si nce August 2005). At the 
same time, the CBJ reduced banks' reserve requirements to 7% (c ompared with 10% in 
October 2008) in order to boost liquidity. 
The budget deficit in 2009 is for ecast to swell to 12.5%  of GDP excluding grant aid, or about 
8% of GDP including grant aid, on account of both a fall in tax revenue and an increase in 
capital spending, while the Government has aimed to cover the expansion by increased 
foreign grant aid. Over the medium term, Jordan  is maintaining its commitment to consolidate 
public finances by focusing mainly on the expend iture side of the budget.  In particular, the 
Government is considering reforms of the pensio n system and of the civil service. In 2008, the 
authorities made progress with reducing Jordan’s debt-to-GDP ratio thanks to special buy-back agreements signed with bilateral cr editors and the Paris Club. The burden of 
Government debt is, however, set to rise to around 70% of GDP in 2009 based on current 
projections which would easily surpass the 60 % of GDP legislative ceiling. This would put 
further pressure on reducing expenditure in 20 10. Current expenditure ha s been targeted for 
significant cuts with an additional large reduction in capital expenditure. 
As well as a weak budgetary position, Jordan's other main macroeconomic vulnerability 
remains the large current account deficit. It is driven by a narrow export base which has meant 
that Jordan has historically suffered from a large trade defi cit in goods. While the trade and 
current account deficits narrowed in 2009 due to  the fall in commodity prices, efforts to 
permanently expand the export sector are still paramount. The surge in FDI inflows over the 
recent period has been curtailed by a shorta ge of regional FDI on account of falling oil 
 
EN 7   EN revenues. At the same time there has been wider global interest, in particular from Asia, in 
investing in public-private partnership initiatives in transport and utilities.  
Employment and social policy 
Poverty  remains a concern with 10% of th e population living with less than  1 JD (EUR 0.96) 
a day. The Coordination commission for soci al solidarity became operational in 2009 and 
coordinates all programmes on  poverty reduction. Implementation of the 2008 poverty 
reduction strategy continued over the reporting period. Finally, the Poverty division of the 
Department of statistics, created in July 2009, carried out an household expenditure and 
income survey collecting information on a sample of 13 000 Jordanian families. The outcome of the survey is not yet available.
 It is the first poverty division in  a statistical office in the 
Arab World. 
Jordan continued to face  major challenges in the field of  employment due, in particular, to 
the demographic growth. The unemployment rate for 2009 was 12.9% with big gender and geographical disparities. The Unemploym ent fund has not yet been created. 
The number of working children between 15 and 17 years old is estimated at 32,000.  
The Ministry of Labour presented in October 2009 a number of recommendations to ensure 
that big investment projects (so called ‘Megapro jects’) translate into massive job creation for 
Jordanians. Based on those recommendations, the Prime Minister issued a directive to the 
various Ministries concerned w ith Megaprojects to involve th e Ministry of Labour in all 
negotiations of contracts.
 
After consultations with stakeholders, the dr aft strategy on employment and technical and 
vocational education and training was presented in March 2009 but it has not been adopted.  
In May 2009, the Cabinet of Ministers approv ed amendments to the Labour Law, notably 
including domestic workers and agricultural workers in the la w, imposing sanctions against 
violence and adding a new articl e on compulsory work (trafficki ng). These still need to be 
adopted by the Parliament. 
In the area of social dialogue , the draft law establishing a tr ipartite committee dealing with 
the regime of approval of labour union has not yet been adopted. The committee will be 
responsible for approving new la bour unions and branches but also  for reviewing the relevant 
international conventions. The President of the Economic and Social Council was appointed 
in May 2009. Additional efforts are needed to train the staff of the Council. Four working 
committees on economic, social, education and labour affairs were created in September 
2009. 
In the area of social inclusion and social protection , preparations for the draft social security 
law continued over the reporting period. 
The draft law includes the creation of employme nt and maternity funds and the extension of 
coverage to a larger group of wo rkers. It includes measures to en sure the sustainability of the 
social security scheme. The Government foresees to adopt the social secu rity law by  decree in 
2010. Jordan allocated 50 million JD (EUR 48.5 million) to the development of decent 
housing. The National aid fund, the governmental body in charge of providing social “safety 
nets”, received for the year 2009  an increase of 40% of its budge t to address the consequences 
of the global crisis on the more vulnerable population.  
 
EN 8   EN As regards the promotion of women ’s participation  in social and economic life, the female 
participation rate of 15% of the labour mark et remains amongst the lowest in the world  but 
the social security reform reportedly focuses on women, offering increa sed social rights and 
incentives to private companies to hire them. 
Jordan continued over the reporting period to implement  sustainable development policies 
through its National Agenda and the " Kulluna al Urdun " initiative, resulting in strategies and 
initiatives designed to achieve inter alia environmentally sustainable economic development 
and greater social inclusion. 
4. TRADE -RELATED ISSUES , MARKET AND REGULATORY REFORM  
In 2009 bilateral trade  between Jordan and the EU slowed down to EUR 2.8 billion with a 
decrease in Jordanian exports to the EU of 40.8% and a reduction of 12.0% of EU exports to 
Jordan.. In the reporting period tariff disman tling proceeded in accordance with the EU-
Jordan Association Agreement, including for pr oducts listed in Annex IV. In December 2009, 
Jordan and the EU concluded negotiations on the text of the Protocol for the Dispute 
Settlement in bilateral trade disputes. During the reporting period Jordan continued working 
on the development of the National Foreign Tr ade Strategy, National Investment Strategy 
(NIS), Export Promotion Strategy and Servic es Sector Strategy. Mo reover, the national 
strategy for transport adopted by the Governme nt in June 2009 includes a chapter on trade 
facilitation, covering such issues as improvi ng the institutional capaci ty of the National 
committee for transport and trad e facilitation, enhanc ing regional cooperati on to support trade 
and ease border-crossing traffic, upgrading custom s services and border-crossing facilities and 
developing multimodal and intermodal transport systems. Concerning regional integration, in 
the reporting period Jordan si gned a Free Trade Agreement w ith Turkey in December 2009. 
An action plan to set up a customs union with  Egypt was adopted in December 2009. The two 
countries have agreed to aim for a unified customs law, common ex ternal tariff and to 
harmonise other relevant laws. 
During the reporting period the Jo rdanian customs authorities continued the implementation 
of their Strategic Plan for 2008-2010. The revi sed customs law, the adoption of which was 
expected in 2008, is still discussed at governme ntal level. The computer isation of the customs 
administration is ongoing: by the end of the reporting period, 95 % of all customs houses, 
including the major ones, were connected to the customs declaration processing system ASYCUDA World. The Single Window concept is now applied in more than 20 customs 
houses, including the special econo mic zone of Aqaba and the major border crossing points 
and cargo airports. To enhance inter-agency coop eration, the representative of the Ministry of 
Agriculture, of the Jordan In stitution for Standards and Metr ology and of the Jordanian Food 
and Drugs Administration working at the border were given access to ASYCUDA and 
opening hours of agencies concerned are streamlined. There is also permanent training and strengthening of the capacity of  customs officials. Furthermor e, work is ongoing in order to 
reduce waiting time at the borders; working hours were extended; a project  for the use of an 
‘electronic gate’ is ongoing a nd Jordan signed a Memorandum of  Understanding with Syria 
on the use of the ASYCUDA system. The number of companies participating in ‘The Golden 
List' programme, facilitating trad e for reliable traders, increa sed in the reporting period. In 
July 2009 the Jordanian Customs tightened th e conditions necessary to obtain a customs 
broker licence; by the end of 2009 on ly two licenses were issued.  
 
EN 9   EN Concerning free movement of goods and technical regulations, Jordan still continued its 
preparations to negotiate an Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance 
(ACAA)of Industrial Products . In 2009, a detailed and exhaustive ACAA roadmap was 
approved by the Jordanian author ities. Amendments to the la w on standards and metrology as 
well as a draft accreditation law have not ye t been adopted by the Parliament. A draft 
technical regulation on product safety and a draft law on product liability are under 
preparation. Some European standards were tran sposed and draft regulati ons were prepared in 
some priority sectors (e.g. pressure equipment)  in the view of approximation to relevant EU 
directives, although the adoption of  the two horizontal laws is n ecessary to move forward with 
the process. A draft Consumer Protection La w is also being prepared. A draft market 
surveillance strategy was prepared and the esta blishment of a National Market Surveillance 
Committee is underway. Traini ng of market surveillance inspectors was organised.  
In the area of sanitary and phyto-sanitary  issues, Jordan further advanced the preparation of 
a new food law aiming at approximation with EU rules. Jordan linked up to the external 
window of the EU’s Rapid Aler t System for Food and Feed. 
As regards the right of establishment , there are currently no pl ans to adopt a regulation 
enabling 100% foreign ownership in transport services, insurance agent services, travel 
agencies and tour operators.  
No progress can be reported on the adoption of the revised company law . In the meantime, an 
amendment of the existing law in 2008 reduced the minimum re quired capital of the Limited 
Liability companies from 30,000 JD to 1,000 JD  (approximately from EUR 30,700 to EUR 
1,000) and shortened the registration period. Ap art from the three manuals of code of 
corporate governance, the Companies Control Department plans to issue a new code of 
corporate governance manual for compan ies. Jordan continued to improve  its business 
environment, slightly improving its ranking in intern ational surveys on the ease of doing 
business.  
An assessment on the impact of liberalising the services  sector on the national economy was 
finalised in 2009.  Jordan expressed interest to enter into bilateral negotiations on the 
liberalisation of trade in  services and the right of establishment in 2010. 
In the field of financial services, despite the global economic a nd financial crisis in 2009, 
prudent financial oversight and proactive supe rvision by the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) 
shielded banks from exposure to troubled in ternational banks, structured products, and 
wholesale financial markets. The CBJ continues to implement the Basel II principles for effective banking supervision.  
Other key areas 
The Government approved a temporary tax law which entered into force in January 2010. The 
law includes a series of amendments to the income tax system with the purpose of unifying 
several categories of taxes and upgrading the e fficacy of tax collection. The new tax law aims 
at making Jordan more attractive for foreign in vestment by reducing the tax rates applicable 
to trade and industry and by exem pting foreign investors from th e obligation to pay a 10% tax 
on profits transferred abroad. The newly adopted  law also covers the improvement of the 
administration of the tax system, including vol untary compliance, filing, audit requirements 
and the appeal system. In December 2009 the Mi nistry of Finance adopted a Department 
Strategic Plan (2010-2014) for the Income and Sales Tax Department outlining the strategic 
 
EN 10   EN inputs, key activities and annual key performance indicators. The plan’s strategic objectives 
are: increase efficiency and efficacy of the tax management system in the areas of income and 
sales tax; improve voluntary compliance by means of additional tax awar eness, transparency 
and increased quality of the tax services; collec t sufficient financial resources for the public 
treasury.  
In the field of competition,  limited progress was made. The 2004 law amendments are still 
being prepared and the planned establishment of an independent competition commission did 
not take place.  
No progress can be repo rted in the field of  intellectual property  rights. The Patent Law 
amended in May 2007 was a step towards Jord an’s accession to the Patent Cooperation 
Treaty (PCT). The by-laws, i.e., the trademarks and patents regulations are currently being 
drafted. Adoption of the patent s regulations will enable the implementation of the Patent 
Cooperation Treaty.  
Legislation in the  public procurement  area is being prepared fo r mid 2010. Jordan continues 
to negotiate the accessi on to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement , for which the 
adoption of a compatible procurement law will be necessary. Jordan continued its activities under the e-procurement program me. The overall objective of the e-procurement programme 
is to increase the efficiency and transparency  of the procurement pr ocess and to improve 
services at lower costs.  
In the area of statistics , Jordan cooperated fully over th e reporting period in the regional 
working group bringing together re presentatives of the statistical  offices of Egypt, Israel, the 
Palestinian Authority and Jordan which aims in  particular at defini ng a work programme to 
reduce asymmetries in the future. Work contin ued over the reporting pe riod to reinforce the 
Department of Statistics .  
With regard to public internal financial control , the Ministry of Finance prepared a reform 
strategy document for the period 2010-13 but the detailed schedulin g of reform to the internal 
control system have not yet been determine d. Effective reform will require improved co-
ordination with the Jordanian Audit Bureau including definition of respective roles are 
regards the internal control syst em and public external audit. 
On enterprise policy , Jordan implemented actively the key areas of the Euro-Mediterranean 
Charter for Enterprise. Jordan has progressed in its preparations of an enterprise strategy in 
the view of streamlining business support activit ies. There is currently no specific policy on 
Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). The Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation has many advice and training services fo r enterprises. Jordan also participates in 
a pilot project on entrepreneurial skills deve lopment in the higher education. An export 
promotion strategy is still being prepared.  
5. C
OOPERATION ON JUSTICE , FREEDOM AND SECURITY  
The fourth meeting of the EU-Jordan subcommi ttee on Justice and Security and the Working 
Group on social affairs, covering also migr ation issues, took place in June 2009. Both 
meetings allowed Parties to continue to discus s issues of common interest in these areas. 
Cooperation with Jordan on border management  progressed steadily. While Jordan 
acknowledges the critical role migration manage ment and border control play in combating 
 
EN 11   EN crime, it lacks qualified experts in immigrat ion control and resources for security and 
inspection equipment. Training on document ex amination, profiling and counter-trafficking 
was delivered in 2009 through EU  assistance to officers and personnel, improving overall 
border management efficiency as well as enha nced information and experience exchange 
between Jordan and EU Member States. 
In the area of migration and asylum , by the end of 2009 the overall number of foreign 
domestic and agricultural wo rkers with legal permits was approximately 335,000. The number 
of workers from Egypt, the Phili ppines and Indonesia is increasi ng, as well as the number of 
Bangladeshi workers employed in Qualified Indust rial Zones. The large numbers of refugees 
continue to put severe strains on the Jordanian society and infrastructure, particularly on its 
medical services, the education system and wa ter supply. The EU has continued to provide 
assistance to Jordan, with a focus on educati on for the most vulnerable refugees, water loss 
reduction measures and the resettlement from  Jordan of the most vulnerable refugees. 
Jordan ratified the 2003 United Nations  Convention against Trans-national Organised Crime  
in April 2009, and acceded to its First Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in 
Persons, especially Women and Children in  June 2009. In 2009 Jordan adopted the Anti-
Human Trafficking Law and formed a national committee responsible for drawing up policies 
and plans to prevent human trafficking and en suring their implementation. The Ministry of 
Justice established a new section to coordina te legal aid and protection for victims of 
trafficking as well as training for judges and pros ecutors. A five year action plan (2010-15) to 
combat trafficking in human beings was a pproved in February 2009 focusing on prevention, 
prosecution and protection. Public awareness an d cooperation with NGOs form a major part 
of the latter. 60 judges received training on trafficking in human beings  in 2009 under the 
auspices of the Ministry of Ju stice and the Judicial Council.  
With regards to  counter-terrorism , during the June 2009 Sub-Co mmittee meeting on Justice 
and Security, Jordan underlined that the EU  should capitalize on Jordan’s experience in 
fighting radicalisation and confir med its willingness to  cooperate with the EU to support the 
integration of Muslims in EU Member States , including on the dissemination of the 'Amman 
message' which aims at countering radicalisation by promoting the positive values of Islam.  
In June 2009, Jordan adopted a National Strategy on the fight against  drugs,  focusing on the 
law enforcement, prevention, harm-reduction and rehabilitation measures. In line with the 
same, the Anti-Narcotics Department of the P ublic Security Director ate took measures to 
increase public awareness of the drugs phe nomenon, in cooperation with government bodies, 
universities, schools, youth clubs, the media and civil society gro ups. Counter-narcotics 
cooperation was pursued on the basis of bila teral agreements with its immediate ENP 
neighbours as well as Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Paki stan, Romania, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. 
Jordan remained engaged in international co operation against drug trafficking through its 
membership of Unified Arab Law, Interpol, th e League of Arab States and the Organisation 
for Social Defence against Crime . In addition, it expressed an in terest to join  the Council of 
Europe’s Pompidou Group in December 2009. The resources of law enforcement agencies 
need to be deployed as effectively as possi ble to take account of existing and future 
challenges. 
With regard to the fight against money laundering, a new regulation was passed in July 2009 
to include real estate agents and gold and s ilversmith wholesale and retail outlets under the 
terms of the 2007 Law. Jordan underwent its first mutual evaluation under MENAFATF in 
May 2009 providing recommendations  on how best to improve its reporting regime beyond 
 
EN 12   EN the banking and insurance industry. Work co mmenced on the establishment of a joint 
reporting data base with customs. The An ti-Money Laundering Unit located within the 
Central Bank referred 115 cases of suspicious tr ansactions to the Public Prosecutor’s Office 
by the end of 2009.  
Due diligence, KYC (‘know your customer’) and KYB (‘know your business’) practices 
continued implementation within financial ins titutions in line with statutory obligations 
alongside customised training for judges, prosecu tors and lawyers on the applicable legal 
framework. In the reporting peri od, Jordan decided to apply for membership of the Egmont 
Group.  
Jordan participated actively in Euro-Med regional programmes on police and justice (Euro-
Med Justice II, Euro-Med Police II and Euro-Med  Migration III). In th e framework of these 
programmes, contacts and exchanges were im proved with judicial, police and other law 
enforcement counterparts across the region on ar eas such as cybercri me, the fight against 
terrorism and combating child pornography. Wh ile it has not ratified any instruments under 
the Hague Conference on Private International Law,  Jordan participated in the Third Judicial 
Conference on Cross-Frontier Family Law Issues in June 2009 and joined the Working Party on Mediation under the Malta Process.  
6. T
RANSPORT , ENERGY , ENVIRONMENT , THE INFORMATION SOCIETY , RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT  
A revised national strategy for transport  for the years 2009- 2012 was approved by the 
cabinet in June 2009. It includes recommendations based on goals, policies and work plans designed jointly between stakeholders from the private and the public sectors. The objectives 
are to ensure a safe, competitive and environmentally-friendly transport sector and to substantially increase the transit traffic, as well  as to transform Jordan into an international 
hub for the region. The Ministry of planning fixe d the objective for the revenues of the transit 
traffic to represent 5 % of GDP in 2017 against less than 2% presently.  
In line with this revised strategy Jordan inte nds to establish a singl e regulatory body for land 
transport (passenger, railway and road freight) , responding to the parl iamentary request to 
rationalize institutions. The Government declared its intention to develop the use of public-private partnership arrangements to attract priv ate capital investment into development of key 
infrastructure and public services. In the ra il sector, a major railway network project 
interconnecting the railway ne twork of the Gulf Cooperati on Council countries, the Middle 
East ports, Syria and Israel is at an early stage of preparation. In Jordan, the core of the project 
is the construction of a new dryport at the tr ansport junction in Al-M afraq. The study on the 
strategic development of the Jordanian railway system has been prepared; a transaction 
advisor is assisting in the implementation of  required investments in cooperation with the 
private sector in the form of  public private partnerships. 
In the aviation sector, the revised national transport strategy calls for the completion of the 
regulatory framework of the sector and the enhanc ement of the civil aviation safety & security 
standards in Jordan. Under the revised stra tegy Jordan will co ntinue to implement 
liberalization policies while preserving the interests of Jordanian airline companies. The authorities and the European Commission continued negotiations in 2009 on a Euro-
Mediterranean aviation agreement that will ensure the establishment of common standards in 
 
EN 13   EN the field of air transport and the progressive opening-up of th e markets. After the reporting 
period, the agreement was initialled (March 2010). 
The main challenge for maritime transport is to restructure the port sector, in particular to 
review the market related re gulations. The revised national transport strategy recommends a 
review of all the aspects re lated to port and shipping in  order to improve the overall 
efficiency.The focus is on integrating maritim e transport in the multimodal and logistics 
chains. 
On energy,  the EU and Jordan consolid ated their cooperation includ ing in the context of the 
2007 Joint Energy Declaration. Jordan, an energy dependent country, pursued sector reform 
by implementing the energy components of the National Social and Economic Development Programme for 2009-2011 and the energy master plan for 2007-2020.  
The draft integrated energy and minerals law, which includes establishment of an energy 
regulator, was taken back from Parliament in December 2009 for amendments tackling 
minerals and oil refineries. Previously part of  the integrated energy and minerals law, a new 
Renewable Energy Law was passed as temporary law in January 2010. In the oil sector, in September 2009, the Government gave, exclusive concession rights (with guaranteed prices) 
to Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company with a view to expanding and upgrading the refinery. 
Jordan continued to work on expanding independent power production and reducing 
electricity network losses. Jordan pursued development of indigenous gas and oil shale 
resources by signing agreements with private investors. 
Jordan stated its plan to play a role in the EU’s energy security. Among other things, the Arab 
gas pipeline, passing through Jordan, shoul d become an important factor in the 
implementation of the plan. In this context, Jordan started a study re garding a possible link 
between the Risha gas field and Iraqi gas resources. It conti nued to assess pos sibilities to 
introduce gas distri bution for households. Jordan pursued work towards regional electricity 
interconnection. It developed plans to upgrade the undersea cable with Egypt, completed a 
feasibility study on an additional link with th e West Bank and reinforced the interconnection 
with Syria. Jordan pursued to assess oil import options inter alia  by studying the feasibility of 
an Aqaba-Zarqa pipe. Oil imports from Iraq were re-launched.  
Jordan sustained its efforts to promote energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources. 
It launched a study for a first concentrating solar power plant in the context of the 
Mediterranean Solar Plan. It developed other so lar plans and stated its aim to equip 30% of 
household with solar water heating by 2020. Jordan  wishes to install 600 MW of wind power 
by 2015 and launched several projects in this area.  
In 2009, Jordan made further preparations fo r constructing of nuclear power plants. A 
consultant was selected for a study regarding th e possible location of the plant. A tender was 
launched to select an adviser for the preconstruction phase. Jord an signed an agreement with 
investors in view of the e xploitation of domes tic uranium. The country ratified the 
Convention on nuclear safety, which entered into  force in September 2009. It acceded to the 
Convention on the Physical Protection of Nucl ear Material, which en tered into force in 
October 2009. Amman University continued to pr epare the construction of  a nuclear research 
reactor and worked on the development of nuclear  expertise. In July 2009, the EU and Jordan 
signed a project, under the Instrument for nuclear  safety, to developand strengthen the Jordan 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  
 
EN 14   EN In the field of climate change, Jordan prepared its Second National Communication to the 
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change , including a greenhouse gas inventory, 
vulnerability assessment and adaptation measures . The participation to the national committee 
on climate change was upgraded to the level of Secretary Generals of sector ministries in 
order to further promote main streaming of climate issues.  Jordan continued to prepare Clean 
Development Mechanism  (CDM) projects, even if no new pr ojects were registered at UN 
level, leaving the overall number of registered pr ojects at one. Jordan associated itself with 
the Copenhagen Accord and provided informa tion on actions that it will implement.  
The Ministry of Environment  continued to implement th e strategic plan for 2007-2010, inter 
alia with regard to environment integration and strengthening of environmental impact 
assessment procedures . The national environment action plan  was reviewed. The legislative 
framework continues to require further deve lopment, in particular with regard to 
implementing legislation. In this respect, Jord an is planning a revi sion of its Environment 
Framework Law.  
New legislation on monitoring and inspections and the environment fund was adopted in 2009 
as along with a regulation on protec ting the environment from pollution . Jordan continued 
preparing new legislation on air quality, wa ter and waste management and environment 
liability . The Jordan Water Strate gy (2008-2022) was adopted in 2009 and an implementation 
plan is being prepared. Work continued on deve loping a policy strategy on solid waste as well 
as policy on waste streams. Continued attentio n is required to implement existing strategies 
and plans and to further enhance monitoring and enforcement. 
Jordan took further steps to pursue the dece ntralisation of environm ent responsibilities. 
Further strengthening of administ rative capacity is still a major challenge, and coordination 
between authorities involved also requires atte ntion. Reform of the water sector policy and 
institutional set-up continued. The draft water sect or law will redefine the institutional set-up 
and establish the water sector regul atory Commission. D ecentralisation and 
commercialisation of the water services sector is  advancing. Monitoring  and auditing of the 
sector are being enhanced. Some further acti vities took place to promote integration of 
environment considerations into other policy se ctors, such as transp ort and tourism. Some 
steps were taken to revise the permit system. 
The state-of-the environment report, finalised  in 2008, has still not be en published. Jordan 
continued to carry out some activities to info rm and involve the public. The Ministry is 
planning to undertake a pilot as sessment that could set an example for future work on 
strategic environmental assessment.  
Implementation of ratified international a nd regional conventions and protocols requires 
particular attention. Jordan continued to part icipate in the Horizon 2020 Initiative, in the 
preparations for a strategy for water in the Medi terranean (which failed to get approval at the 
recent ministerial meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean) and in th e EU Water Initiative. 
Cooperation and exchanges of information took place between the European Commission and Jordan, including on water, pollution reduction in the Mediterranean region and environmental reporting. 
In the field of civil protection,  Jordan took part in a new pha se of activities of the Euro-
Mediterranean Programme for the Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and 
Man-Made Disasters that st arted in 2009, continuing the pr ocess of strengthening civil 
protection activities in the regi on, enhancing capacity at regiona l, national and local levels, 
 
EN 15   EN and promoting institutional cooperation. Hereby, further steps were taken to bring Jordan 
closer to the European Civil Protection Mechan ism, contributing at the same time to the 
development in the region of a civil protectio n culture based on an integrated approach 
covering disaster prevention, preparedness and response. 
The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MoICT) launched a new 
programme to increase the spread  of Internet in remote areas . The programme is based on the 
national broadband network implemented by the Ministry to connect schools, government 
departments, hospitals and health centre s via high capacity fibre optic cables. 
In cooperation with MoICT, the Ministry of Interior launched the Civil Status and Passports 
e-service which allows display of and access to the civil records required. This e-service is 
part of a group of e-services finalised in the Tax, Land and Surv eys, departments, Ministry of 
Trade and Industry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
The Telecommunication Regulator y Commission is preparing the Strategic Plan for 2010-
2012, the main goals of which have been appr oved. As liberalisation of the 900 MHz and 
1800 MHz spectrum bands is an important elem ent of the Strategic Plan 2010-2012 a public 
consultation was launched in September 2009 w ith a view to developing a best-practice 
oriented plan for this liberalisation. In Augus t 2009 a first 3G (third generation) licence was 
granted, and further 3G licences ar e planned to be granted in 2011. 
The safeguards guaranteeing the independence of the Jordanian Audiovisual  Commission set 
up in 2006 remain modest by European standa rds. The Ministry of information and 
communications technology prepared a draft la w which included proposals to merge the 
Audiovisual Commission with the Telecomm unication Regulatory Commission. The draft 
law was circulated to the bodi es concerned for comments.  
The Science and Technology agreement between the EU and Jordan was signed in November 
2009. The agreement is expected to accelerate the cooperation in fields of common interest, 
where EU and Jordan are pursuing research  and development activ ities in science and 
technology. As reported last year, a join t committee will be established to oversee 
implementation of the agreement and regularly disc uss the future orientations and priorities of 
research policies and research planning in  Jordan and in the European Union.  
Although Jordan was quite active in the EU Framework Program mes over the last few years, 
awareness of the Programmes could still be improved. Jordan continued to increase the numbers of applications submitted to the 7th Framework Programme (FP7), 125 Jordanian applicants submitted a proposal and 20 were retained, receiving EUR 1.46 million of EU contribution. 
The Scientific Research  Fund, under the responsibili ty of the Ministry of higher education and 
scientific research, came into operation and a total of about EUR 15 million was committed in 
2009. Development of applied research in Jordan and stronger links betw een research and the 
private sector remain a high priority for the c ountry although there is s till a need clearly to 
define the roles and responsibilities of the di fferent stakeholders in applied research and 
innovation and to encourage coordina tion and cooperation between them.  
 
EN 16   EN 7. PEOPLE -TO-PEOPLE CONTACTS , EDUCATION AND HEALTH  
In the area of education , the first phase of the Education Reform for the Knowledge 
Economy (ERfKE) project ended in  December 2009, resulting in th e definition of a five year 
strategic development plan (2009-13) and development of  new curricula, teaching and 
learning resource materials alongs ide infrastructural improvements and expansion. The start 
of the follow-up ERfKE II project was postponed  to early 2010 due to the fiscal situation. 
However, the Ministry of Education is resolved to  implement the five year plan with regard to 
key areas such as development of teaching and learning and investment in early childhood, 
vocational and special education. The reform ai ms to improve quality, transform educational 
provision and orient educational practice an d outcomes to the needs of the knowledge 
economy. In addition, an amendment to the civ il service law in November 2009 strengthened 
disciplinary measures against teachers and offi cials administering corporal punishment in 
schools, public agencies and re habilitation centres. In the Mi nistry of Education started a 
remedial programme for 16,000underperforming st udents in key competences in April 2009.  
In vocational training , the Employment and Technica l and Vocational Education and 
Training Council convened se veral times during 2009 to revi ew the activities of the 
employment and TEVT Training Fund in terms of  its effectiveness in  supporting training 
actions and programmes. However, the Decem ber 2009 Cabinet decision to cancel the Fund’s 
traditional financing mechanism (1% training levy on companies) and replace it with central 
funding and a levy on foreign workers’ permits , raises questions as to the latter’s 
sustainability with consequent risks for overa ll reform. In addition, coordination between the 
Ministries of labour, edu cation and higher education remains a major challenge. 
The Centre for Accreditation and Quality As surance commenced work in July 2009 and 
developed an action plan and bu ilt up its organisational planni ng capacity with the technical 
assistance of the European  Training Foundation (ETF) (see also section 8).  In October 2009, 
preparatory work on qualifications  frameworks for two pilot sect ors, tourism and water, also 
began with ETF support, in cooperation with th e Centre. As was the case in 2008, coordinated 
efforts to reduce the gap between educational attainment and labour market requirements will require integrating reform con cepts such as quality assurance, qualification frameworks, 
information systems and centre of excellence in to policy documents and strategies. Matching 
operational programmes with reform choices will also require structured resource planning. 
Developing reform capacity at the level of privat e sector decision-makers and social partners 
also needs further investment. 
The Parliament adopted two new reform laws in September 2009 on Higher Education  and 
Scientific Research and Jordanian universitie s, granting the boards of public and private 
universities more autonomy over management  decisions and appointments while also 
amending existing legislation on the accreditation of higher education institutions.  
Jordan is benefitting from four projects unde r the second Call for Proposals under Tempus IV. 
Curricula reform has advanced through the de velopment of new master’s degree programmes 
in several fields including community hea lth nursing, special educ ation, water resources 
management and cultural heritage. Similar a dvances were made in undergraduate degree 
programmes in the applied sciences while links  and cooperation with European universities 
have increased through Tempus investment. Work remains to be done on development of higher education policy. 
 
EN 17   EN Only one Jordanian student received an Eras mus Mundus Master Course scholarship but 35 
students and academics received mobility grants for the 2009-10academic year. Jordanian universities are encouraged to partic ipate in the Jean Monnet programme. 
Jordan continued promoting the benefits of youth exchanges, voluntary service and 
intercultural dialogue in the c ontext of regional cooperation. In  this connection, Jordanian 
young people and youth organisations participated in youth exchanges, voluntary service and 
cooperation activities in the fiel d of youth work and informal education through the Youth in 
Action and Euro-Med Youth programmes.  
In the area of culture , Jordan participated actively at regional level in the new Euro-Med 
Heritage IV programme. Cultural policy however remains weak as it is planned in the context 
of support for tourism development, thereby lack ing strategic focus in terms of development 
of Jordan’s cultural potential. Jordanian cultu ral organisations participated in the Call for 
Proposals of the 2009 ENP Special Ac tion under the Culture Programme. 
Jordan sustained health sector reform, in particular by im plementing the health ministry’s 
Strategic Plan 2008-2012 and starting to impl ement of the 2008 Public health law. The 
Government plans to concentrate on strengthen ing the institutional pe rformance management 
and related monitoring and assessment system s, as well as to explore possibilities to 
rationalise expenditure, specifically on drugs, which constitute 34% of total health 
expenditure. However, the monitoring and eval uation system for strategy implementation 
needs to be strengthened.  
The reform objectives remained enhanced access to  health care, more quality and full health 
insurance coverage. It reinforced the institutio nal structures by reorga nising the Ministry of 
Health and by strengthening the High Health Council. Jordan took measures to combat 
influenza A (H1N1) including through a vaccination campaign. In 2009, in the context of the influenza A epidemic, the European Commi ssion and Jordan established communication 
channels for the exchange of epidemiological information in the event of a health crisis. In October 2009, Jordan participated in the newly established EU enlarged health information committee. It pursued participation in the ‘E pisouth’ network on comm unicable diseases for 
the EU, Mediterranean and Balkan countries. 
8. FINANCIAL  COOPERATION  – 2009  KEY  FACTS  AND  FIGURES 
The European Neighbourhood and Partnership In strument (ENPI) financial envelope for 
Jordan under the National Indicative Programme 2007-2010 is EUR 265 million. The programme is geared towards supporting the achie vement of key policy objectives as outlined 
in the Action Plan and pursues four prioriti es: political reform, democracy, human rights, 
justice and good governance; trade and investment development; sustainability of the growth 
and development process; institution building, financial stability a nd support for regulatory 
approximation. 
The implementation of the measures covered by the 2007 and 2008 Annual Action 
Programmes is underway. Substantial results we re already achieved in  the reform of the 
public finances management system. Significan t progress was also ma de in the education 
system reform through a strong budget support of the EU, supported already since 2006. The 
Services Modernisation Programme which aims at  supporting the services sector, the first of 
several programmes in this area, is now also well underway, as well as the following 
 
EN 18   EN programmes: enterprise and export developmen t, justice reform and good governance, trade 
and transport facilitation, as well As a specifi c programme (twinning and technical assistance) 
dedicated to support the Jordanian administratio n in the implementatio n of Action Plan. In 
2009, the European Commission programmed assist ance for Jordan for a total amount of EUR 
68 million. The 2009 Annual Action Programme (A AP) focused on four priority areas: 
employment and technical vocational training; ca pacity building for municipalities; renewable 
energy; and institutional capacity building . Within this envelope, EUR 10 million was 
allocated to the rational and sustainable use of  alternative energy resources with a focus on 
Wind Energy and Concentrated Solar Power.  EUR 3 million was provided to build the 
capacity of Jordanian Municipalities as a continuation of the EU support to the 
decentralisation reform Jordan is undert aking. EUR 20 million funding was devoted to 
support the Jordanian administra tion in the context of the imp lementation of the EU-Jordan 
Action Plan. The fourth and largest progr amme in the 2009 Annual Action Programme 
consisted of a Sector Budget Support Progra mme of EUR 35 million, focusing on supporting 
Employment and Technical Vocational Educa tion and Training (E -TVET).An indicative 
financial envelope of EUR 223 million will be av ailable to support co-operation activities in 
Jordan in period 2011-2013, based on a European Commission decision of March 2010.In 
addition to the bilateral allocati on, Jordan also benefited from cooperation activities financed 
under the ENPI multi-country and regional pr ogrammes, as well as under thematic 
programmes, such as the European Instrume nt for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) 
and the DCI Thematic programmes: Migrati on and Asylum Programme, Non-State Actors 
and Local Authorities in Development (NSA/L A) and Investing in People. Jordan also 
participates in the Cross-Border Coopera tion (CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin programme 
(EUR 173,607 million for the whole programme in the period 2007-13). The priorities of the 
programme are: social-economic development; renewable energy; cultu ral dialogue and local 
development.Furthermore, in order to address th e needs of Iraqi refugees in the Zarqa area, a 
programme of EUR 12 million, which aims at imp roving water distribution, is currently being 
implemented. In 2009, the European Investment Bank signed lending operations in Jordan for an amount of EUR 166 million for the constructi on of a water pipeline from Disi to Amman 
in order to address the pr oblem of water scarcity. 
In terms of coordination, the EU  Delegation to Jordan continued its close contacts with other 
donors and with the Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Co-operation. The 
Delegation is actively involved in the work of  the Donors and Lenders Consultation Group 
(DLCG) and chairs several of its sector work ing groups. The Delegation has also established 
an internal EU Development Cooperation Group (EUDCG), which meets regularly to 
improve common strategies, coherence, informati on exchange and the visi bility of the EU and 
Member State programmes.