JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in Jordan Progress in 2014 and recommendations for actions Accompanying the document JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2014
Date: 2015-03-25
Institutions: European Commission, High Representative of the Union
Subjects: European neighbourhood policy, Jordan, child labour, corruption, economic stabilisation, freedom of religious beliefs, human rights, humanitarian aid, international conflict, job creation, macroeconomics, nuclear safety, public health, teaching curriculum, terrorism, torture, women's rights













EUR-Lex - 52015SC0067 - EN











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52015SC0067

JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in Jordan Progress in 2014 and recommendations for actions Accompanying the document JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2014 /* SWD/2015/0067 final */









1.       Overall assessment and recommendations for action
This document reports on the progress made in the implementation
of the EU-Jordan European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Action Plan between 1 January
and 31 December 2014.
Developments
outside this period are taken into consideration where relevant. This report is not a general assessment of the
political and economic situation in Jordan. Information on regional and
multilateral sector processes is contained in the Partnership for Democracy and
Shared Prosperity progress report.
Jordan has been considerably affected by the ongoing armed
conflicts in Syria and Iraq, which has exacerbated a situation already
complicated by the Arab–Israeli conflict and the decades-long presence of
Palestinian refugees. In addition to the refugee influx, the conflicts led to a
loss of trade routes, markets and energy supply. Jordan has shown great resilience in the face of regional crises and
continued to remain a moderate and tolerant regional key-player with a
stabilising role both regionally and internationally, including through its
work in the United Nations Security Council. Its domestic stability has been
preserved in spite of the significant threats that the crises in
Syria and Iraq have posed to its security, and its political and socio-economic
situation. 
Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the EU has
allocated more than EUR 300 million to support Jordan, which included more than
EUR 145 million in humanitarian assistance and EUR 66 million in development
support during 2014. In response to the spread of radicalism across the region,
Jordan took on an important role in addressing extremism. It joined the
international coalition against Da'esh, engaged in positive efforts at the
highest level to mobilise Sunni countries in the fight against radical
ideology, and took steps to engage its citizens in countering the violent
narrative of Da'esh ideology. Accordingly, Jordan supported the territorial
integrity of Iraq and strengthened security cooperation with its government. In
this framework, Jordan could further promote a balance between preserving
national security and facilitating progress on freedoms and social and other
rights.
At the Association Council held in October 2014, the
EU and Jordan agreed to start a regular security
dialogue to review the situation and find ways of strengthening cooperation on
counter-terrorism. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP), Catherine Ashton, and
the Member of the European Commission responsible for Enlargement and European
Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle, visited Jordan in October 2014. In November the new HR/VP
Federica Mogherini, also visited Jordan. She had an audience with His Majesty,
the King of Jordan, Abdullah II and met the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser
Judeh. The Members of the European Commission for European Neighbourhood Policy
and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, and for Humanitarian Aid and
Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, visited Jordan in January 2015.
Taking this particular background into account, Jordan continued
to make progress on deep and sustainable democracy. The jurisdiction of the
Independent Election Commission was expanded to municipal and other elections.
A new legal framework for political parties was proposed. Steps to strengthen the impartiality and effectiveness of the
judiciary were taken and the government stepped up its efforts to combat
corruption. Jordan made progress on other governance-related
issues in particular by merging public institutions and reducing public
expenditure.
In the areas of human rights and fundamental
freedoms, 2014 was a year of mixed results in Jordan. Influenced by regional developments, there was no tangible
development on the freedom of the media, and the government did not take any
steps to further strengthen the freedom of association
or the freedom of assembly. The policy dialogue between the government and
civil society organisations (CSOs) was not strengthened either. There
was limited progress on the fight against ill-treatment and torture and on
women’s rights. There was a clear setback in December, when Jordan cancelled
its de facto moratorium on the death penalty and executed eleven people.
The EU called upon the Jordanian authorities to re-apply a moratorium as a
first step towards abolishing the death penalty.
      On the economic side, Jordan performed
laudably well on implementing stability-oriented reforms. The economy remained
resilient despite a series of existing challenges and external shocks, in
particular due to the influx of refugees from Syria and Iraq. Jordan and the EU
made good progress on the preparatory process to initiate negotiations on a
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). 
Signature of the joint declaration
establishing a Mobility Partnership between the EU, its participating Member
States and Jordan on 9 October 2014 is a step towards
closer cooperation in the field of migration and mobility. In the partnership,
the EU and Jordan commit themselves to ensuring that migration is managed as
effectively as possible, allowing for specific actions to further improve the
situation of migrants, in particular asylum-seekers.
Taking
the difficult and complex regional situation into account, Jordan made some
progress on implementing the ENP
Action Plan. The action plan was adopted in 2010, and
was followed by the Arab uprising, instability in the region and conflicts in
Iraq and Syria. This resulted in new security and socio-economic challenges for
the country, which affected the action plan’s implementation. At the
Association Council of October 2014, the EU and Jordan agreed that it was time
to assess future EU-Jordan relations and priorities for a new
action plan. Jordan’s
progress on deep and sustainable democracy, migration and mobility, and the
perspective to start negotiations on a DCFTA are noteworthy. The human rights
situation should be improved simultaneously, however. The execution of 11
individuals sentenced to the death penalty was a clear and regrettable setback.
The EU recognises the key role Jordan played as
co-chair of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).
On the basis of the assessment of the progress made in 2014 on
implementing the ENP, Jordan should focus its work in the coming year on:
·        
re-applying
a moratorium on the death penalty;
·        
further
improving the political electoral system, to reflect the outcomes of national
dialogues and the key recommendations of the 2013 EU Election Observation
Mission;
·        
improving
the active and constructive participation of citizens in political processes by
amending the 2008 law on civil societies, and creating a more conducive
environment for civil society organisations, trade unions and NGOs in order to
advocate the needs of their constituents to political decision-makers;
·        
continuing
to strengthen a fair, independent and efficient judiciary system in line with the strategy launched in January 2014, in particular
by establishing clear and
objective criteria for appointing and assessing judges;
·        
encouraging
cooperation with Eurojust and nominating a contact point to facilitate closer
judicial cooperation with Eurojust; 
·        
ensuring
balance between legitimate concerns of national security and each individual’s
right to peaceful expression of opinion by refraining from referring
journalists and citizens to the State Security Court on terrorism charges;
·        
addressing
the issue of the equal treatment of women, including determined action to
combat violence against women by following up on the pledges made when joining
the UN Women’s COMMIT initiative;
·        
continuing
to eradicate and properly sanction acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment. Jordan should take the necessary steps
towards the eventual ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention
Against Torture (OPCAT);
·        
continuing cooperation with the EU to
ensure an effective implementation of the Mobility
Partnership including the necessary preparations for negotiating agreements on
visa facilitation and re-admission;
·          
launching
negotiations on a DCFTA.
2.         POLITICAL DIALOGUE AND REFORM
Deep and sustainable democracy
Constitutional amendments were
adopted by the parliament in August. The amendment to Article 67 expands the
jurisdiction of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) with regard to the
management and supervision of municipal and other elections. In July 2014, the
IEC presented its strategic plan for 2014-17 and an update of the voters’
database, carried out with the support of the EU. The amendment to Article 127
assigns the King sole authority to appoint and discharge the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff and the director of the General Intelligence Department.
The government stated that the constitutional amendment was necessary in order
to re-establish the Ministry of Defence and to ensure that the army and the
General Intelligence Department remain professional and apolitical.
A new draft law on political parties
was submitted to the parliament in May. It is expected to ease certain requirements
for founding or joining a political party. The 2012 electoral law remained in
force, with the government announcing a new draft electoral law to be presented
in early 2015 to further enhance political life. The performance of political
blocs in the lower house of parliament remained inconsistent and highly
diversified.
There was no change to the legislation
governing the freedom of association. The registered number of
associations has increased considerably in recent years. They still face problems
of unclear and restrictive legal definitions on funding, dissolution, and
general bureaucracy.
Provisions on the freedom of assembly
continued to be defined in the 2011 public gatherings law. Demonstrations
against domestic and regional affairs took place throughout 2014, and in most
cases were peaceful.
The freedom of the media remained
a sensitive issue in Jordan, closely related to the freedom of expression.
Jordan ranked 155th out of 197 countries in the 2014 Freedom House Freedom of
the Press Index, a drop of 10 compared with its ranking in 2013. The 2012 press
and publications law remained in force. Several media objected to the
requirement that a licence needs to be granted by the authorities, though some
media outlets have rectified their status to comply with the law. In July the
authorities blocked access to nine unregistered news websites. Arrests of
journalists continued. In June the prosecutor of the State Security Court
raised terrorism charges against the owner and 13 journalists working for the
Iraqi TV-station Al-Abasiya three days after they had been arrested. The
charges were lifted and the journalists were freed.
A high degree of self-censorship
continued to exist among the media in Jordan. Amendments to the press
association law were adopted in June. They removed some restrictions on joining
the Jordan Press Association, expanding the scope of who can officially be
recognised as a journalist in Jordan. Another amendment guaranteed that the
authorities cannot dissolve the Jordan Press Association. In July the EU signed a EUR 3
million contract with UNESCO on support to media, aiming to strengthen an
enabling regulatory and institutional environment and build capacity for an
independent, quality-based media sector.
In January 2014 the Ministry of Justice
launched its 2014-16 strategy to improve the effectiveness and independence of
the judiciary. The strategy for the sector as a whole, the ‘judicial
upgrade strategy’, remained unchanged. In September parliament adopted a new
judicial independence law. A key element is the transfer of authority regarding
the appointment of judges from the government to the Judicial Council. In
February 2014 a new automated system was introduced to monitor and ultimately
minimise detention periods. The High Institute for the Judiciary of
Jordan should continue to be actively involved in the activities of the
Euro-Arab judicial Training Network.
The government continued its work on
combating corruption. Jordan ranked 55th out of 175 countries
included in the 2014 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index,
advancing eleven spots compared with last year’s ranking (66th out
of 177 in 2013). However, corruption remained an issue of general concern to
the public, causing a lack of trust in public institutions. Implementation
of the anti-corruption strategy adopted in 2013 continued. In April parliament
adopted amendments to the anti-corruption law. These expand the definition of
corruption to include money laundering and illicit enrichment. Also in April, a
regulation protecting whistle-blowers, witnesses and informants in corruption
cases was adopted. It entails the establishment of a special unit within the
Anti-Corruption Commission to process requests for protecting individuals who
have information on corruption and laying the ground for a future
witness-protection programme. In June the illicit fortunes law was adopted. The
law makes it obligatory for all ministers, Members of Parliament, judges, heads
of public institutions and other officials to disclose information on their
financial assets to a special unit in the Ministry of Justice. In 2013 the
Anti-Corruption Commission handled 230 cases of suspected corruption, of which
74 were referred to the Prosecutor General. Jordan began to implement the
National Integrity System.
Other human rights and fundamental
freedoms
As a follow-up to the 2013 UN Universal
Periodic Review, in April 2014 Jordan set up a technical committee to draft a
national plan for human rights, which addresses the need to review national
legislation in order to bring it in compliance with international agreements
and human rights conventions. In June 2014, Jordan’s authorities announced that
they would produce a guidebook entitled ‘Know Your Rights’ to raise public
awareness about citizen rights.
In December Jordan cancelled its de
facto moratorium on the death penalty. Eleven people, all sentenced
to death in 2005 and 2006, were executed by hanging. This change to the
application of the death penalty came after no executions had been carried out
since 2006. It is estimated that 113 prisoners, including 12 women, are
currently on death row.
In March 2014 two amendments to Article
208 of the penal code were adopted with the aim of categorising all types of torture
as illegal. However, the amended Article 208(1) is limited to acts of torture
that are inflicted in order to obtain confessions to a crime, while the amended
Article 208(2) leaves room for broader interpretation, though omitting ‘mental’
torture. In June 32 Members of Parliament
submitted a memorandum calling for tougher penalties for offenders who commit
crimes of torture. Jordan’s penal code categorises crimes of torture as a
misdemeanour and is therefore incompatible with the requirements of United
Nation Convention against Torture (UNCAT) to which Jordan is a party. The EU
encourages Jordan to move forward with the ratification of the Optional
Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT). The EU launched two
projects to strengthen civil society organisations, to increase the protection
of groups vulnerable to discriminatory torture and ill-treatment, and to
include UN standards for preventing torture in the domestic legal framework.
Jordan continued to play its long-term
role in promoting religious coexistence and its support for the freedom of
religion or belief. No steps were made towards lifting Jordan’s remaining
reservations to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women. In the 2014 Global Gender Gap Index, Jordan ranked
134th out of 142 countries monitored (in 2013, it had ranked 119th out of 136
countries). In February 2014 Jordan signed a memorandum to join the UN Women’s
COMMIT initiative to end violence against women.
The draft youth justice law was approved
by parliament in September 2014. The law increases the age of criminal
responsibility from 7 years to 12, to be more in line with international
standards. It aims to apply restorative justice instead of punitive measures in
cases involving young people, who are classified as those between 12 and 18
years of age. It further limits the administrative burden of youth justice
courts. The EU launched two projects to support the rights of children.
Child labour and underage marriages continued to exist, particularly among
Syrian refugees. The Ministry of Labour increased the number of inspection
campaigns to combat child labour.
Other governance-related issues
Parliament adopted amendments to the public
administration law in March 2014, merging a number of public institutions
to increase performance and limit public expenditure. The Anti-Corruption
Commission and the Ombudsman Bureau remained independent institutions. Service
guides were finalised for five government agencies.
The government continued to underline the
importance of the decentralisation of public services as a critical
element of Jordan’s reform drive. In April 2014, it adopted a by-law for
governorate councils that indicate an increase in the number of local councils
at governorate level. The by-law does not devolve further powers to the local
level.
In March 2014 the ‘EU support to civil
society organisations’ programme, a part of the ‘democratic governance’
programme, was launched. With a budget of EUR 3.5 million, the programme aims
to strengthen policy dialogue between the government and civil society
organisations and to improve their technical and advocacy capacity. In July the
EU and its Member States adopted a three-year roadmap for EU engagement with
civil society in Jordan, including specific priorities and measures to be taken
before 2017.
In 2014 Jordan hosted two regional civil
society meetings that aimed to create systems for sustained regional-level
dialogue between civil society, Jordan’s authorities, and the EU. One meeting
took place in March with more than 60 participants from Jordan and the
Euro-Mediterranean region, and one in October with over 50 participants. The EU
strongly supported this regional initiative. The Member of the European
Commission responsible for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy,
Štefan Füle, participated in October’s meeting.
Cooperation on foreign and security
policy, regional and international issues, conflict prevention and crisis
management
In January 2014 Jordan began its
two-year non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council
(UNSC). Jordan and the EU continued to remain aligned on a number of issues
related to foreign and security policy, many of which were addressed in
the UNSC. Jordan played an important, moderate and facilitating role on a
number of international issues, including the Middle East peace process and in
the international community’s response to developments in neighbouring Syria
and Iraq. In September 2014 Jordan was again granted the southern co-presidency
of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), until September 2016.
The armed conflict in Syria
continued to present a significant challenge to Jordan’s security. A number of
attempts by armed groups to cross the border to Jordan were intercepted. In
principle, Jordan maintained its open-border policy towards refugees, though
cases of refoulement have been documented. More than 46 000 Syrian
refugees were registered in Jordan in 2014, bringing the total of registered
Syrian refugees in the country to 622 000. In April 2014, a new refugee
camp was opened in Azraq.
Since September 2014, the protection
environment for Syrian refugees in Jordan deteriorated, with cases
of forced return to camps and to Syria including cases of deportation and refoulement
of vulnerable persons. New policies limiting assistance to non-camp refugees,
such as the health decree ending free access to primary health care and
restrictions on the registration of refugees as asylum seekers, are of concern
and led to an increase in the number of refugees returning to camps or to
Syria.
The refugee influx has substantial
political and socio-economic implications, with the country’s community
resources, infrastructure and social services largely overstretched. Rising
rents and competition for jobs contributed to growing tensions between refugees
and host communities. In recognition of the burden placed on the country, the
EU allocated more than EUR 300 million for humanitarian support and development
assistance to Jordan since the beginning of the crisis, supporting programmes
that benefit both Jordanians and Syrian refugees. This allocation does not
include bilateral aid from EU Member States. In April a regional EU development
and protection programme for refugees and host communities (with a budget of
EUR 26 million) was launched in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. In May the EU
supplied Jordan’s border guards with 23 vehicles to facilitate the continued
safe passage of refugees from the border to the refugee camps. EUR 20 million
of EU support are being used for various measures to improve the security
conditions of refugees. The deterioration of the security and humanitarian
situation in Iraq has further added concerns to regional stability,
including for Jordan.
Jordan,
Lebanon and Iraq continued to strengthen their trilateral cooperation with the
EU in the area of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN)
disaster prevention, preparedness and response. Jordan plays an active role
in this field as it hosts the Middle East’s regional secretariat of the EU CBRN
centres of excellence. Jordan benefits from a number of EU-funded regional
projects that aim to build capacity in a range of CBRN-related areas. Jordan
and the EU agreed on an action plan for an EU-funded project on the export
control of dual-use goods.
3.         ECONOMIC REFORM AND SOCIAL
REFORM AND DEVELOPMENT
Jordan’s economy
grew by an estimated 3.2 %[1]
(compared with 2.8 % in 2013). However, Jordan continued to be negatively
affected by a number of exogenous shocks, including the cessation of its
gas supply from Egypt, lower earnings from tourism, and weaker investment, as
well as the direct impact of the Syrian refugee crisis. These caused
substantial rises in fiscal expenditure, strained labour markets, inflationary
pressures, and a widening balance of payments deficit. Inflation was still
moderate in 2014, with consumer prices rising by 2.7 % in September 2014.
Against these
adverse conditions, macroeconomic stability was supported by a
consistent fiscal consolidation plan and prudent monetary policy. Thanks to
measures already taken by the government in 2013, e.g. subsidy reforms, and the
strong inflow of foreign grants, the fiscal deficit narrowed further to an
estimated 9% of GDP in 2014, from 9.4 % of GDP in 2013. Higher tax
receipts supported a significant rise in current and capital spending enhancing
fiscal consolidation efforts. The current account deficit (including grants) is
estimated to have narrowed to 7.3% of GDP in 2014 from 10.3% of GDP in 2013,
reflecting higher than expected grants and a strong performance in potash and
fertiliser exports. In addition, Jordan benefited from the ongoing 36-month
stand-by arrangement (agreed with the IMF in 2012 and worth USD 2 billion). It
also agreed a macro-financial assistance programme of EUR 180 with the EU,
which aims to alleviate pressure on the balance of payments in conjunction with
the IMF programme.
The social security law, a
critical element for the sustainability of social security coverage, was
adopted in January. At the end of 2014, social security coverage stood at 67.9 %
of the population. In February, Jordan accepted parts V, VI, IX and X of the Social
Security Minimum Standards Convention (C102), which entered into force in
March 2015.
Jordan continued to face significant
challenges in job creation and employment. The unemployment
rate was estimated at 12.6% in 2014, at the same level as for 2013.
However, Jordan’s female labour-market participation was expected to
fall further, continuing a downward trend since 2009 and making it one of the
lowest in the world. To address mismatches between the labour market supply and
demand, the authorities’ actions included the launch of sector-specific
surveys, and the development of sectoral human resource development plans
and a labour market information system, with the EU’s assistance. A new employment
and technical and vocational education and training strategy for 2014-20
and an implementation plan were adopted, and the Ministry of Labour ran three
national employment campaigns in 2014.
The Ministry of Social Development
continued to implement the 2013-20 poverty reduction strategy, which
aims to reduce the poverty rate to 7 % by 2020. The IMF and World Bank
reported that 14.3 % of Jordanians live below the poverty line and that a
further 18.6 % were vulnerable to poverty in 2014. The government
maintained consumption subsidies and income support schemes available to
low-income households.
Labour
standards
remained unchanged, and Jordan did not take any steps to ratify the International
Labour Organisation’s Convention No 87 on ‘freedom of association and
protection of the right to organise’.
4.         TRADE-RELATED ISSUES, MARKET
AND REGULATORY REFORM
The EU-28 was the second most important
trading partner, with total trade in goods amounting to EUR 4.0 billion in
2014.
Preparations for launching negotiations
on a DCFTA continued, with progress made on the scope of negotiations and the
level of ambition to be pursued. An external contractor carried out a
sustainability impact assessment of the potential implications of the DCFTA,
including a stakeholder consultation in Jordan.
A national export strategy for
2014-19 was approved in May, and aims to boost the export potential of Jordan’s
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), improve export development, and
further promote a conducive business environment for exports.
As regards the free movement of goods,
Jordan continued to work towards setting up an adequate institutional and legal
basis for the three priority sectors (electrical products, gas appliance and
toys) identified for future negotiation of an agreement on conformity
assessment and acceptance of industrial products. However, the standardisation
and metrology law is still pending approval at parliament. In April Jordan
introduced a standard customs user fee for all imports, leading to discussions
on whether this fee should continue to be applied to preferential imports under
the Association Agreement with the EU.  
As regards the investment climate,
parliament adopted a public-private partnership law in September. A new
investment law was enacted and published in October, and set up two investment
councils to manage national strategy and policy formulation and work-plan
implementation. The entrepreneurship and SME growth strategy, which had
been prepared in 2013, was presented to stakeholders in January, but is still
waiting for the government’s endorsement.
Progress was made on improving financial
services, as the Central Bank of Jordan formally accepted responsibility for
regulating and supervising the microfinance sector in accordance with best
international practice. In June, the Central Bank finished drafting the first
microfinance by-law. The EU supported the sector’s further development through
a EUR 29 million budget support programme and a EUR 6 million
complementary programme.
Under the EU-funded IMP-MED project,
Jordan prepared a national integrated maritime policy (IMP) work plan,
set specific national IMP targets and identified specific IMP-related technical
assistance needs.
In the area of taxation,
parliament adopted a new income tax law in December. The law introduces an
increase in tax on profits in the banking and other sectors, and fines for late
payments. In addition, the authorities raised direct taxes on a number of
services and goods. Fees, mainly on visas and residency permits, were
introduced or increased to raise revenue and limit the budget deficit.
The joint 2014 evaluation on SME policy[2]
highlighted challenges to be addressed by the country, including
strengthening creditor rights, implementing and monitoring the new bankruptcy
law, stronger coordination between ministries, developing entrepreneurial
learning for all levels of education, and the adoption and implementation of an
effective export promotion strategy.
In the area of statistics, an EU
Twinning project helped bring the national accounts in line with the SNA 2008
international methodology, including the informal sector in GDP and other key
statistics. For the first time, Jordan has collected information on migrants
through an innovative survey, including a special questionnaire on the
situation and intentions of forced migrants (refugees). First results will be
available in 2015.
The EU twinning project with the
Jordanian Audit Bureau helped improve external auditing procedures by
producing a draft manual. The Audit Bureau and the Ministry of Finance agreed
to review national-level work on reforming internal control and external audit.
5.         COOPERATION ON JUSTICE,
FREEDOM AND SECURITY
Following up on the EU-Jordan Dialogue
on Migration, Mobility and Security, a joint declaration establishing a
Mobility Partnership between Jordan, the EU and
its participating Member States was signed on 9 October 2014. Work on
drawing up a list of identified actions and specific projects to implement the
partnership have started.
On trafficking in human beings,
the government approved a decision to turn a 2 000-square-metre
government-owned building in Amman into a shelter for victims of human
trafficking. The new centre is expected to open in the first half of 2015. In
cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and the International Organization for
Migration (IOM), the EU funded a workshop in April to strengthen national
capacity for recognising cases of human trafficking and providing better
protection to migrant workers. The counter-trafficking unit (CTU) continued to
work on capacity-building measures with international partners. However, only a
few of the 113 cases referred to the public prosecutor by the CTU since 2009
have resulted in convictions. The government announced that it would produce a
comprehensive strategy to regulate all measures and procedures relating to
migrant workers and enable the authorities to take legal action against
violators.
In February the anti-money laundering
unit signed a memorandum of understanding with the UK’s Financial Intelligence
Unit; in June it also signed one with Belgium’s financial intelligence
processing unit, for legal assistance in criminal matters. The anti-money
laundering and counter-terrorism financing national plan (2013-15) was adopted
and includes a strategic goal of reviewing national legislation on combatting
money laundering and terrorism financing in accordance with international
standards.
In
June Jordan adopted amendments to the 2006 anti-terrorism law. These
were introduced with the objective of being able to respond to an expected
influx of fighters returning from Syria and to the regional threat of extremist
groups. Since its adoption, several individuals have been prosecuted in the
State Security Court under the amended provisions on charges such as
‘membership of a terrorist organisation’ or ‘attempting to incite terrorism’.
International and local civil society organisations have voiced concerns that
the broad definition of what constitutes a terrorist act could be used for
prosecuting peaceful political speeches or assemblies.
6.    TRANSPORT, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE
CHANGE, INFORMATION SOCIETY, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION
In April 2014, the
Ministry of Transport proposed a 20-year long-term national transport strategy,
which at the end of the year still had not been approved by the government. A memorandum
of understanding was signed with stakeholders on providing information to Jordan’s
transport data warehouse. At the second EU-Jordan preliminary joint committee
meeting under the Euro-Mediterranean Aviation Agreement, both sides expressed
satisfaction with the functioning of the agreement, which was being applied on
an administrative basis pending its formal entry into force.
Efforts aimed at long-term diversification
of energy supply continued, together with projects agreed with
the IMF on reforming the energy sector before 2017. The Natural Resources
Authority was merged with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and the
Electricity Regulator Commission’s mandate was upgraded to include nuclear
energy and minerals.
Jordan’s heavy dependence on costly
energy imports continued to cause major economic difficulties. Energy imports
which already amounted to 17 % of GDP in 2013, increased by 74 %
year-on-year in the second quarter of 2014 due to the import of petroleum
products to replace gas imports from Egypt. With instability in Iraq hampering
the preparation of the planned Basra-Aqaba pipeline, new plans were announced
for the possible import of gas from the Gaza Strip, Cyprus and Israel. In
addition, a liquefied natural gas terminal in Aqaba, funded by the Gulf
Cooperation Council, was expected to be ready in early 2015. Agreements to
build an oil derivatives terminal in Amman and on power generation using shale
oil were also signed.
The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
continued its assessment of the proposed site near Amra as the future site of a
nuclear power plant. The EU continued to support the AEC on legal and
regulatory international standards. In August, the International Atomic Energy
Agency presented a satisfactory evaluation on the preliminary work carried out.
Jordan and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on nuclear cooperation.
Construction of the first wind energy
project in Tafilah started in 2014. This 117-megawatt project is the first
renewable energy project in Jordan; its funding includes a significant
contribution from the European Investment Bank. In March Jordan signed all the
related contracts and power purchase agreements for the first round of
renewable energy projects. Twelve contracts were concluded, and have a total
capacity of 200 megawatts, mainly from solar-generated electricity in the south
of the country. In October the International Finance Corporation finalised a
USD 207.5 million loan to fund the construction of seven solar plants in
Jordan. In November, parliament approved a renewable energy law, which makes
all materials used for implementing renewable energy and energy efficiency
systems tax exempt.
The Ministry for Environment set up a
special unit responsible for climate change to act as a national focal
point and to coordinate activities with all line institutions. In June Jordan
started working on its intended nationally-determined contribution for the 2015
Climate Agreement. The regional EU-funded Clima South project supported
Jordan’s work, including on a project proposal for a nationally-appropriate
mitigation action in Jordan Valley. Moreover, the Ministry for Environment
actively supported the strengthening of regional cooperation on climate action
in the Mediterranean region by acting as co-chair of the newly-established
Union for the Mediterranean Climate Change Expert Group. 
As regards the environment, the Ministry
for Water and Irrigation presented in January 2014 a plan to alleviate
the impact of the Syrian refugee influx on the water sector by integrating the
needs of refugees in national figures. In June amendments to the water
authority law were adopted, with stricter penalties for violators of water
networks, illegal wells and pollution of water resources. The authorities
continued their work on combatting illegal wells and rehabilitating water
networks throughout the year. Jordan continued to actively participate in
EU-financed regional programmes, including the ‘sustainable water integrated
management’ programme and those falling under 'Horizon 2020' for the
depollution of the Mediterranean and SWITCH-Med, which is helping Jordan to
draft its national action plan for sustainable consumption and production. The
EU Neighbourhood Investment Facility is supporting host communities on waste
management activities to face the influx of refugees. As co-president of the
Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Jordan also played a vital role in the UfM’s
successful ministerial meeting on the environment and climate change, held in
Athens in May. 
On information society, a
proposal is being put forward to review the Jordanian telecoms law, including
provisions addressing the convergence between telecommunications and
audiovisual services, reviewing national regulator mandates, and promoting safe
access to internet content. However, no progress can be reported on its
adoption. In January 2014 a by-law was passed on e-signatures and trusted
services. In February, the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission chaired and
hosted the plenary assembly meeting of the Euro-Mediterranean Regulators Group.
In September, a national strategy for 2013-17 was presented, and aims to
increase internet penetration in Jordan from the current 63 % to 85 %
by 2017.
'Horizon 2020' and the ‘support to research
and technological development’ programme were launched in Jordan in June, and
focus on four key areas (water, energy, food and health), in line with national
research priorities. A series of 'Horizon 2020' thematic brokerage events also
took place in Jordan, promoting cooperation with EU partners. A project funded
by the 7th EU Framework Research Programme resulted in the establishment of the
first cancer bio-bank in Jordan and the whole Middle East region (KHCCBIO).
With the support of the World Bank, the Higher Council for Science and
Technology developed a national innovation strategy for 2014-17. In September
the SESAME’s 800-million-electron volt booster went into operation, making it
the first high-energy accelerator in the Middle East. Jordan invested EUR
220,000 in the first joint call launched by the EU funded project for alignment
of research programmes Euro-Mediterranean - ERANETMED.
7.         PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CONTACTS,
EDUCATION AND HEALTH
In
the framework of broader education reform, Jordan,
with the EU’s support, took measures in the areas of teacher training,
pre-school education in underprivileged areas, and improving special-needs
education programmes. In addition, the construction of six new schools was
started and will be finalised in two years. Pre-qualification tests were
introduced for new teachers starting in the profession. A review of the assessment
system, including the Tawjihi (General Secondary Certificate Examination), is
still pending despite the growing necessity for reform. The EU supported the
government’s efforts to address the impact of the Syrian crisis in Jordan. At
the end of the school year, nearly 120 000 refugee children were
registered in the formal education system and around 70 000 students were
in the informal system through UN agencies and NGOs. A management information
system is being implemented through UNESCO in order to aggregate national data
and planning.
With
regard to employment and technical and vocational education and training
(E-TVET) a new E-TVET strategy for 2014-20 was adopted and the E-TVET Council
approved a TVET qualifications framework. The E-TVET sector, including a new
component on youth consultation, was subject to the bi-annual Torino Process
assessment carried out by the European Training Foundation in June 2014. A new
‘employment and social inclusion’ programme building on the results of the
current one is planned for 2015-18.
Jordan
participated in the Tempus programme with 23 on-going projects, eight of
which were coordinated by Jordanian universities. 284 Jordanian students and
staff were selected within partnerships supported by Erasmus Mundus and
one student received scholarships to participate in a joint master. 
One
organisation was selected for funding under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
actions (MSCA) under 'Horizon 2020'. Youth and youth organisations
benefitted from Erasmus +, with 364 participants in mobility projects
and 36 in a project for young people and decision-makers in the youth field. In
June the second Arab-Euro Conference on Higher Education took place in Amman,
with the participation of 200 presidents of Arab and European universities.
Cooperation
on MedCulture and Euromed Audiovisual programmes continued in the framework of
the ‘creative industry project’ in Jordan
In
November the government adopted an amended 2015-19 health strategy that
aims to improve services in accordance with public demand and encourage
investment in the health sector to advance medical tourism. Jordan
nominated a national correspondent for relations with the European Centre for
Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and participated in the National ECDC
Correspondents’ meeting in May.
_________________________________
[1] For sources and
detailed figures, see Statistical Annex accompanying the reports; figures
without sources are forecasts by Commission services.
[2] "SME
Policy Index The Mediterranean Middle East and North Africa 2014 Implementation
of the Small Business Act for Europe" (SBA)".