Tunisia: Charter for sustainable development of Lake Bizerte adopted in Tunis through Horizon 2020

A “Charter for the sustainable development of Lake Bizerte” aimed at ensuring the protection and sustainable development of the lagoon from all sources of pollution has been adopted and signed by the Tunisian authorities in the framework of the EU-funded Horizon 2020 initiative. 

A ceremony took place at the Ministry of Environment on 16 October 2012 in presence of Mrs Mamia El Banna, Minister of Environment, Mr Mohamed Lamine Chakhari, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr Belgac em Ayed, Director General of Infrastructure at the Ministry for Regional Development and Planning, Mr Abderazak Ben Khlifa, Governor of Bizerte, Mrs Nathalie Clémence of the European Investment Bank, M. Nick Marchesi, of MeHSIP-PPIF and Prof. Michael Scoullos, of H2020 Capacity Building/Mediterranean Environment Programme (H2020 CB/MEP). 

Lake Bizerte is a priority hot spot in Tunisia, characterised by multiple sources of land based pollution (industrial emissions, agricultural practices, solid waste and sanitation in terms of waste water disposal, transport, construction activities, etc.).

The Horizon 2020 Initiative, through the European Investment Bank (EIB), supports an important investment in the region for the abatement of pollution deriving mostly from industrial activities, on the basis of the preparatory work carried out by the Mediterranean Hot Spot Investment Programme Project Preparation and Implementation Facility (MeHSIP-PPIF) under the supervision of the Tunisian Ministry of Environment. 

In support of the on-going preparatory works undertaken by MeHSIP-PPIF for financing the project implementation, the European Union project Capacity Building/Mediterranean Environment Programme, in close collaboration with the Tunisian Government and MeHSIP-PPIF, organised a workshop last June tailored to the context of Lake Bizerte, which managed to convene all stakeholders around one table and agree on a Charter that will ensure the protection and sustainable development of the lake (lagoon) from all sources of pollution. 

This Charter not only commits local authorities and stakeholders but also establishes a real national ownership and ensures sustainability of the depollution investments. 

The Horizon 2020 initiative aims to improve the quality of life of more than 420 million citizens living in the 25 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It is an umbrella programme drawing together all the policies, strategies and action plans for enhancing environmental protection. 

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EU Neighbourhood Info Centre feature – Protecting Bizerte lagoon 

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