Since the successful popular uprising that brought about the departure of President Ben Ali in January 2011, the European Union has been at the forefront of efforts to help Tunisia’s new transition administration in its path towards democratic reform and to increase the support made available to Tunisia.

1. Country press pack March 2011
Photos EU/ENPI Info Centre ©
The EU and Tunisia
Since the successful popular uprising that brought about the departure of President Ben Ali in January 2011,
the European Union has been at the forefront of efforts to help Tunisia’s new transition administration in its
path towards democratic reform and to increase the support made available to Tunisia.
European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy; Štefan Füle, said in a speech to the
European Parliament in the wake of the events, that the EU had a long-standing and robust relationship
with Tunisia, the first country in the Southern Mediterranean to sign an Association Agreement with the EU
back in 1995. Ahead of his arrival in Tunis this week, he said: “It is with some emotion that I return to Tunisia,
where I find a country that has changed dramatically since my last visit. I am Czech, and I lived through a
similar transformation in my own country. I remember very well the sense of deliverance and hope in the future
that followed our velvet revolution. Today, with its genuinely popular and democratic revolution, Tunisia is
setting an example. The Tunisian people deserve all our admiration.”
On 8 March, the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton,
submitted together a Communication on the European Union’s relations with the countries of the southern
Mediterranean (“Communication for a Partnership for Democracy and Shared Prosperity with the Southern
Mediterranean”). It sets out concrete lines of actions to support the partner countries, which will be detailed in
the Communication on the review of the European Neighbourhood Policy, to be adopted in mid-May. The
message is very simple: the EU is prepared to offer more to those of its partners who show resolve in
committing themselves to the path of economic reform and deep democratisation. Today’s visit to Tunisia by
Commissioner Füle is the opportunity for him to engage in a new dialogue with the government, with political
forces, and with representatives of Tunisian civil society in order to re-examine together the priorities and the
objectives of cooperation in light of the new situation.
In February, High Representative Catherine Ashton visited Tunisia, pledging additional new resources of €17
million to support Tunisia.

2. Tunisia National Indicative Programme (NIP)
The overall budget for bilateral EU assistance to Tunisia in the framework of the European Neighbourhood and
Partnership Instrument (ENPI) amounted to €240 million for 2011-2013, or the equivalent of about €80 million per
year, according to the National Indicative Programme (NIP). This has now risen to €258 million with the additional
resources pledged in February 2011.
The EU has announced that this allocation will be reviewed to take into account the new realities in Tunisia, in
order to contribute to supporting greater political openness, assistance to the democratic transition, and support to
economic and social development.
EU supports wind of change and reforms in Tunisia with €258 million for 2011-2013
The indicative budget for bilateral assistance to Tunisia in the framework of the European Neighbourhood and
Partnership Instrument (ENPI) stands at €258 million for the period 2011-2013.
The EU is already assisting Tunisia in the ongoing democratic transformation in the following ways:
a) immediate support for the electoral process and the elections themselves:
• EU experts on the ground to collaborate with the Ben Achour Commission;
• €2 million package under the Instrument for Stability, including one part for support to the electoral
process, and one part earmarked for civil society and the media.
b) support to civil society with the call for proposals published by the EU Delegation in Tunis (€2 million);
c) support for disadvantaged areas in the interior of the country: an initial sum of €10 million has been
earmarked towards this aim; implementation is currently being discussed with the Tunisian authorities;
d) possible review of the current ENPI allocation (€240 million) for the period 2011-2013, including the
possibility of bringing forward to 2012 the Justice support programme planned for 2013.
The EU is prepared to consider strengthening this allocation, taking into account a needs assessment to be
determined by Tunisia, as well as the stimulus and reform programmes that Tunisia will want to implement.
The National Indicative Programme (NIP) is a European Commission assistance programming document; it
translates into financing priorities the political priorities reflected in the Country Strategy Paper (CSP), outlining
the measures and actions to be taken in order to achieve the stated objectives.
The democratisation of Tunisia requires ambitious reforms on fronts as challenging as the fight against
corruption, the independence of justice, reform of the police, freedom of expression and association, but also
development of isolated areas, employment of young graduates, and improvement of social protection. The
EU will do its utmost to support Tunisia in its actions on all these fronts, in a permanent spirit of dialogue both
with its interlocutors in government and with the Tunisian people. It is working at the same time on a major
reprogramming of its external assistance in order to free the necessary resources.
The message that Commissioner Füle is bringing to Tunisia today can be summed up in a few simple words:
Europe is there, Europe admires what Tunisia has done, and it stands resolutely by your side to
prepare the future.

3. European Investment Bank: €1.87 billion to spur growth and jobs
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has earmarked a total of €1.87 billion for concrete actions to
assist Tunisia along the path of democratic transition, with actions centred around economic growth
and job creation.
Following consultations in March between the EIB and the new Tunisian authorities, the following
actions have been proposed:
• Accelerate the implementation of public projects, in particular in the areas of sanitation, energy
and road infrastructure (€1 billion)
• Accompany the creation and development of SMEs through the mobilization of EIB credit lines
to local banks and leasing agencies (€260 million)
• Support the construction of the new Mdhilla factory of the Tunisian Chemical Group – a modern
unit built to top environmental specifications, which will allow the group to consolidate its export
position (€140 million)
• Implementation of a major road modernisation programme throughout the country (€160 million)
• Financing a number of significant projects in the following areas: SMEs, especially in a marginal
areas, energy (gas sector), provision of equipment for local authorities (streets, lighting, drinking
water, used water treatment, waste treatment, social facilities), and micro credits, to a total value
of around €310 million.
Find out more
Find out more…
ENPI Info Centre webpage – Tunisia
http://www.enpi-info.eu/countrymed.php?country=8
EU Delegation – Tunisia
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/tunisia/index_fr.htm
EuropeAid – ENPI
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/overview/index_en.htm
Documents
2009 Tunisia country progress report (FR only)
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/progress2010/sec10_514_fr.pdf
EC fact-sheet 2009 (FR only)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/184&format=HTML&aged=0&language=
FR&guiLanguage=en
National Indicative Programme 2011-2013
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/country/2011_enpi_nip_tunisia_fr.pdf
EEAS – Key documents
http://eeas.europa.eu/tunisia/docs/index_en.htm

4. Action Plan
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/action_plans/tunisia_enp_ap_final_en.pdf
Country Strategy Paper 2007-2013 & National Indicative Programme 2011-2013
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/country/2011_enpi_nip_tunisia_fr.pdf
Websites - Political and Economic relations
EuropeAid – Tunisia country page
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/country-cooperation/tunisia/tunisia_en.htm
EEAS – Tunisia
http://eeas.europa.eu/tunisia/index_en.htm
DG Trade – EU and Tunisia
http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-opportunities/bilateral-relations/countries/tunisia/index_en.htm
DG Trade – Tunisia statistics
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_122002.pdf
MEDSTAT II – Tunisia statistical profile
http://www.enpi-info.eu/file_static/TN-Profil_Stat_EN.pdf
Material
ENPI Info Centre – Tunisia news
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_type_med.php?keyword=tunisia&id_type=1&newstype=1
EU Delegation Tunisia newsletter – 30 years of cooperation
http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id=20491&id_type=1
ENPI Info Centre fact sheet – Perceptions of the EU in Tunisia
http://www.enpi-info.eu/files/interview/a110069%20ENPI%20Tunisia(EU%20perceptions)en.v.5.pdf
ENPI Info Centre feature – A research and education network to tackle the oldest affliction
http://www.enpi-info.eu/files/features/a112084%20ENPI%20EUMED%20CONNECT(en).v.4.pdf
ENPI Info Centre feature – A pioneering scheme that transformed the medina
http://www.enpi-info.eu/files/features/a109061%20ENPI%20CIUDAD%20Tunisia%20(en).v.4.pdf
ENPI Info Centre feature – Montada promotes heritage value of Kairouan
http://www.enpi-info.eu/files/features/a107047%20ENPI%20Montada%20Tunis%20(en).v.4.pdf
ENPI Info Centre feature – Guardians of Water: EuroMed Heritage project in Morocco and Tunisia
http://www.enpi-info.eu/files/features/FT02med%20Heritage%20EN.pdf
ENPI Info Centre feature - A satellite tracing system for Tunisian merchant shipping (2008)
http://www.enpi-info.eu/files/features/74756809.pdf
ENPI Info Centre feature - Preparing tomorrow's olive oil! (2008)
http://www.enpi-info.eu/files/features/43906925.pdf
ENPI Info Centre features
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_type_med.php?id_type=6&country=8

5. Eurojar feature – Industrial Modernisation Programme “EU supports Tunisia in enhancing its
economy” (2010)
http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?lang_id=450&searchtype=simple&id=21144&id_type=1
Eurojar feature: EU markets absorb 80% of Tunisia’s exports (2010)
http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?lang_id=450&searchtype=simple&id=20958&id_type=1
EuropeAid case studies – Tunisia
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/tunisia/projects/case_studies/index_fr.htm
Photos
ENPI Info Centre – Photo gallery
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_galleries_med.php?country=8
EuropeAid photo library
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/multimedia/photos/library/index.cfm
REMEE – Heritage IV project photo library
http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_images_med.php?id=15&iden=15