EC announces new cooperation programme

The European Commission announced on Friday a programme of cooperation with Benin worth 275 million euros (over US $269 million) for the period 2002-2007, an EC news release said. The main objective of the programme is to support Benin's poverty reduction efforts through sustainable economic and social development and to facilitate Benin's integration into the world economy. The EC Commissioner responsible for development cooperation and humanitarian aid, Poul Nielson, welcomed "this step forward which places poverty reduction at the heart of the EU's cooperation with Benin", the release said. Benin will receive 208 million euros for the priority sectors of road transport, health and macro economic and institutional support, while another 67 million euros will be mobilised to provide any additional support in case of external shocks, such as short term fluctuations in export earnings resulting from falling prices for agricultural commodities, the release said. The cooperation strategy is based on the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of countries and the EC Partnership Agreement, signed in Cotonou, Benin on 23 June 2000. For background information on EC relations with Benin, see http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/strat_papers/index_fr.htm