The EU adopts new actions to enforce rule of law in Jordan bringing the overall support to the country to nearly €2 billion

Commissioner Hahn signed a new €50 million programme to support Jordan's justice sector reform efforts to enhance the rule of law, effectiveness of the justice sector and access to justice. With this programme, the EU has provided nearly €2 billion in support to Jordan since 2011.

At the signing ceremony in Amman, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn said: "The EU has been a strong supporter of Jordan's justice reforms over a number of years, because, as His Majesty King Abdullah II has said, the rule of law is the guarantor of any individual and public rights, providing the effective framework for an efficient public administration and the basis for a safe and fair society. This €50 million programme takes EU support to Jordan since 2011 to nearly €2 billion of total financial support. The EU remains committed to keep supporting Jordan and its ambitious reforms at this difficult time".

Background

The programme will contribute to enhance the independence, accountability and specialisation of the judicial power; support the improvement of caseflow management, effectiveness and information efficiency in the criminal justice chain; and contribute to improve the management and public service delivery in the Justice Sector.

This action is part of the EU's Annual Action Programme for Jordan that also includes actions in the field of trade, institutional capacity-building and social protection. Through this newly signed programme, the EU will support the Justice Reform Sector Strategy 2017-2021 in which the Government of Jordan has outlined actions to enhance independence, accountability and specialisation of the judicial power and improve the capacity and effectiveness of the judiciary administration.

The EU's action will build upon the existing programme with a continuous legislative and policy reform dialogue. It will provide up to €40 million in budgetary support of the sector reform from 2019 until 2022. An additional €10 million will support the implementation of measures by international development cooperation agencies (including the French AFD, the German GIZ and the Spanish AECID) to reinforce capacity-building arrangements, improve access to justice through enhancing the legal aid system and enhance legal cooperation.

This brings the total EU support to Jordan to nearly €2 billion of total financial support since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011. This includes bilateral cooperation programmes aiming at enhancing Jordan's social and economic development, strengthening the rule of law, upgrading border management and preventing violent extremism. It also includes additional EU assistance mobilised to help Jordan institutions, host communities and Syrian refugees in Jordan to cope with the consequences of the Syrian crisis.

Jordan remains an essential partner for the EU at the global, regional and bilateral levels, in particular due to its important role in promoting stability in the region.

More info

EU Relations with Jordan

EU – Jordan cooperation

Factograph

Factsheet: "Responding to the Syrian crisis - EU support to resilience in Jordan"