The European Commission will allocate up to € 3.79 million to implement measures to support independent media in the countries of the Southern Partnership. Such a decision is contained in an EC document that RT has reviewed. These states, in particular, include Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia.
At the same time, according to the document, financial support will be provided through the European Fund for Democracy, to which funds will be allocated.
“The Commission plans to provide this support by providing the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) with appropriate funding to provide additional grants to civil society and independent media in the countries of the Southern Partnership,” the text of the document says.
Thus, the European Commission intends to provide support for democracy and social development of these countries.
“The main objective of this project is to promote sustainable democratization and social development in the countries of the Southern Partnership, supporting independent media and activists who advocate for democracy and civil society,” the EC says.
In addition, as part of the program, it is planned to pay special attention to the interests of youth in order to provide the young generation with the opportunity to participate in political, social and economic decisions.
According to the document, within the framework of the European Fund for Democracy, the EU has already managed to support 234 initiatives in the countries of the Southern Partnership - mainly in Tunisia, Egypt and Syria, as well as 296 projects in the Eastern Partnership countries, including Azerbaijan and Ukraine.
Igor Shatrov, deputy director of the National Institute for the Development of Modern Ideology, suggested in an interview with RT that the funds allocated for projects in the countries of the Southern Partnership could be used to reduce the migration flow from North Africa and the Middle East.
“Indeed, first of all, the north of Africa and the Middle East are now a zone of close attention for Europe, because from there uncontrolled crowds of migrants come to Europe. The goal of the entire world community now is to create conditions in this region for a normal life for citizens so that they do not look for a new place of residence, but build a life in their countries of origin, ”said Shatrov.
Meanwhile, Professor of the Department of Comparative Political Science of the RUDN University, Yuri Pochta, noted in an interview with RT that in this way the countries of the West seek to preserve and expand their spheres of influence in the region.
“This is a region where the most important energy resources and transport arteries are concentrated, which has important military-strategic importance. And of course, Western countries want to maintain and increase their influence there. And they bring up journalists who share their values. This is an important resource for maintaining its influence through “soft power,” the expert emphasized.
- © The EU Neighbors portal
“Repressive” conditions
Thus, the European Commission emphasizes that aid will be sent to those countries that are in conditions of “repression”.
“The activity will, in particular, be aimed at countries where the repressive situation is exacerbating - by providing the necessary support to independent media and organizations in the field of civil society in conditions in which the free activity of such organizations is becoming more difficult,” the EC decision notes in the description .
In particular, the priority areas of support include countries such as Syria, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, where, according to the testimony of observers from the European Commission, the situation of independent media is allegedly deteriorating.
“Recent local observations show that in contexts of conflicts like in Syria, intensified repressions like in Egypt, subtle but firm restrictions like in Jordan and Lebanon, and in general the lack of meaningful public discussion in the Southern Partnership region, the situation of non-tendent media and independent media producers have deteriorated rapidly, ”the document says.
- © GEORGE OURFALIAN / AFP
According to Igor Shatrov, the information impact will be an additional irritant to the situation in the region.
“Europeans perceive these countries as former colonies. As owners, they try to impose their norms and rules of behavior there. And this contradicts traditional norms, which have gained strength and recovered in some countries during the post-colonial period. Instead of helping to promote the traditions of peoples and somehow adapt them to modernity, the West, as a rule, suggests demolishing everything previously created by these peoples and adopting Western economic and political models, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.
“On a non-competitive basis”
Financial assistance will allow civil society and independent media in the countries of the region to respond to changing conditions and take advantage of the “windows of opportunity”, the European Commission believes.
However, the conditions for grants still look opaque.
Thus, the document states that the European Commission reserves the right to provide financial assistance "on a non-competitive basis."
According to Igor Shatrov, this looks like a direct interference in the affairs of states.
“Even no one tried to create the appearance of competition in the struggle for the funds allocated by the European Commission. This tells us that there are certain media resources that are supported for several years from the outside, and it is these media resources that will receive this grant. No one is interested in the quality of their journalistic or other communication activities, no one is interested in how much it is in the interests of the states in which they are represented. The main thing is that these were their people, who at some point, if someone had a desire to make a coup in another country, would work as it should in the interests of those who pay them money, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.
However, the document states that the grant can be provided “upon request” by countries. Thus, the European Commission cites examples when in emergency situations critical funding was sent within a short time from the moment the European Foundation for Democracy Support received a request from the country.
“Thus, 12% of all EED grants were approved: for example, the provision of solar panels to the Aleppo Media Center (Syria) immediately before the siege,” the report said.
Also, experts of the European Commission cited as examples help "after the protests of the Euromaidan or after the tightening of repressions against activists in Russia."
Earlier, the EC allocated € 2.8 million to strengthen Moldovan state bodies and carry out territorial reform at the federal and local levels.
Moreover, tranches allocated by the EU are not always implemented in accordance with the stated goals. So, in 2018, the EC analyzed the allocation of financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of € 355 million to Ukraine. Later, the European Commission refused to provide financial assistance in the amount of € 600 million, explaining that Ukraine did not fulfill four of the 21 necessary conditions for receiving economic assistance from the European Union .