EU Ambassador Christina Lassen met separately today with Minister of Environment Fadi Jreissati and Minister of Energy and Water Nada Boustani, wishing them success in their new appointments.

The meetings were the opportunity to discuss the ministers’ respective plans and to raise a cross-cutting issue, climate change, which has serious implications on Lebanon’s economy and its people. The European Union is leading on climate action worldwide, engaging with various partners to address this common challenge, and advocating for a green transition that goes hand in hand with job creation, food security, public health and sustainable growth.

In the meeting with the Minister of Environment, Ambassador Lassen recalled that the European Union has been supporting Lebanon in tackling environment pollution since the early 2000’s and remains today one of the main donors in this field. “We believe that with the right additional resources, the Ministry can successfully ensure its oversight and enforce environmental legislation”, said Ambassador Lassen.

She added that for the European Union in Lebanon, solid waste management and waste water are priorities. Ambassador Lassen wished for the swift establishment of the independent National Waste Management Authority and to subsequently consider a review of the law on integrated solid waste management.

The issue of waste water was also raised in the meeting with Minister of Energy and Water Nada Boustani. As the largest donor in the sector today, the European Union, with its Member States and the European Finance Institutions, has committed over 900 million Euros in grants and loans, and is willing to continue doing so in the long term.

Ambassador Lassen highlighted to Minister Boustani that the European Union is a key partner in the energy sector. “We are committed to the process launched in the CEDRE conference, in parallel with the implementation of the much-needed structural and sectoral reforms”, she said. The European Union considers the reform of the electricity sector a priority for Lebanon, and encourages the transition towards a climate neutral and circular economy, including through supporting renewable energy.

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