Project description

Title: Egyptian Environmental Agency Integrated System for Hazardous Materials and Waste Management
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
Financier: European Union (EU)
Country: Egypt
Lead executing agency: Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA)
Overall term: 2008 to 2011

Context

About 60,000,000 tonnes of hazardous waste are produced annually in Egypt, with adverse consequences for the environment and human health,. No infrastructure capable of proper disposal exists in Egypt. For example, there is only one disposal site for storage of hazardous industrial wastes; dangerous wastes are generally deposited together with non-hazardous wastes. The Egyptian legal framework for hazardous wastes and waste management shows  a few weak points. The present regulations, those of environmental law no. 4/94, are not properly enforced. 

Objective

Die ägyptische Umweltagentur ist in den Bereichen gefährliche Stoffe und Abfallmanagement umfassend gestärkt und verbessert die Umwelt- und Gesundheitssituation im Land langfristig.

Approach

The development of an integrated strategy serves to guarantee efficient management of wastes and hazardous materials in Egypt as an EU border country (partner country within the scope of the European Neighbourhood Policy). This also supports the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency in improving the environmental and health status in Egypt.

The harmonisation of Egyptian legislation with European regulations and the adoption of best available practice facilitate carrying out international obligations. This is an important building block in supporting the EU association agreement with Egypt.

The partner’s long-term institutional, political and personnel competencies and performance capacities are strengthened. To begin with, efficient and strategic institutional structures are put in place such as the Environmental Management Unit, the Senior Inter-Ministerial Committee (SIC) and the Legal Inter-Ministerial Committee (LIC).  Based on a training plan, comprehensive training modules are devised and training conducted on the training-of-trainers principle. In addition to purely technical and specialist subjects, training in public relations is also given. In the course of several study trips, expertise gained in administrative practice is conveyed.

The measure will reinforce the competencies and capacities of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency and of the relevant actors concerned with hazardous materials and waste management. It will also create and impose an appropriate legal framework. Policy instruments such as an integrated strategy will be developed.

Further information

• Information regarding Twinning as Instrument (Partnerships For Administrative Capacity Building)
  http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/.../twinning_en.htm