EU aid to Lebanon and its impact on the promotion of human rights and democratisation

Abstract

This dissertation examines the feasibility of the European Union aid to Lebanon with particular focus on its impact on the promotion of human rights and democratisation. It entails an introduction, six chapters and concluding remarks. The introduction deals with the deteriorating situation in Lebanon at all levels in the post-war period after fifteen years of conflict and the need for the external assistance in general and the EU aid in particular. The first chapter, the EU aid in perspective, sets out the basis for the subsequent chapters and entails normative concept of the EU aid, its definition, goal and objective, and establishes a concise background of the roots of the EU responsibility to provide aid to Lebanon. The second chapter exposes the European Union aid mechanisms in terms of EU aid coordination and conditionality of EU aid allocation (definition of conditionality, conditionality in perspective and EU conditionality). Chapter three tackles the general benefits of the EU aid to Lebanon and the EU Lebanon cooperation agreements (The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, the Association Agreement between the European Union and Lebanon and the Interim agreement) as well as the EU aid in the field of the promotion of human rights and democratisation with particular focus on the ongoing EU aid projects in the democracy and human rights fields and EU human rights and democracy initiatives (MEDA Democracy Programme, the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights, and The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network). Chapter four explores the trends of the EU assistance to Lebanon. It comprises four parts. The first part exposes the evolution of the relations between the EU and Lebanon on both the political, and the trade and cooperation levels. The second part exposes the quantitative trends of the overall EU assistance to Lebanon as well as the priorities envisaged in each agreement (the Economic, Technical and Financial Cooperation Agreement of May 1977, The Euro- Med Partnership, the European Investment Bank, and loans from the European Commission). Part three provides an overall concise outlook of the ongoing EU aid projects m Lebanon. And finally part four specifies the beneficiaries from the EU aid at the Lebanese level. Chapter five is the cornerstone element of the dissertation. It provides a critical assessment of the topic being investigated. It highlights a criticism of the Lebanese practices and policies (the issue of corruption, lack of confidence in the state, lack of planning, wrong policies adopted by the government, irresponsibility and delay in action, problems of the public administration) as well as general problems in Lebanon. Besides, it provides for the deteriorating state of human rights and democratic deficit in Lebanon. Furthermore, it entails critical reflections on the EU aid and policies towards Lebanon (general deficiencies in protecting and promoting human rights and democratisation, exaggerated achievements and misallocation of funds, inconsistency, lack of coherence and double standards, lack of coordination, hidden motives, economic and trade motives and a probable negative impact on the Lebanese economy, lack of conditionality and determination, some remarkable deficiencies in the association agreement and practices that do not match the official declarations). Chapter six tackles a number of suggestions and recommendations necessary to redress the imbalances and to contribute to the improvement of human rights and democratic records in Lebanon. With respect to Lebanon, these include recommendations concerning human rights, recommendations to fight corruption, reforms and priorities, economical considerations, recommendations to the civil society in Lebanon. With respect to the EU, they include: more coherence, control and coordination, conditionality measures, aid to the public administration, civil society and education, actions in the field of human rights, and recommendations to the EU delegation in Lebanon. And finally the concluding remarks serve as a brief recapitulation and reiteration of the fundamental findings and recommendations. What remains at stake is a genuine political commitment and concerted efforts from all the parties involved in the policy making process (the EU and the Lebanese authorities) in order to address the core of the problems and figure out the suitable solutions.