JOINT DECLARATION BY THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT AND THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) ON AN EGYPT-EU WATER PARTNERSHIP

ACKNOWLEDGING the common environmental challenges and need to transition to a low carbon, resource-efficient circular economy model, while recognizing that climate resilience is imperative in our commitment to sustainability;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that under their Association Agreement signed in 2001, the EU and Egypt have resolved to engage on shared priorities, including through cooperation on preventing deterioration of the environment and ensuring the rational use of natural resources, with a focus, inter alia, on sustainable water resources management;

RECALLING the Council conclusions on water in the EU external action as adopted in November 2021, in which the EU highlights the strategic importance of water, in particular for sustainable development, poverty reduction, food and nutrition security, human development, climate action, environmental protection, biodiversity and ecosystem preservation, humanitarian action, and peace and stability;

UNDERLINING the European Green Deal adopted in December 2019, which sets out reforms needed in the different sectors of the economy to achieve climate neutrality, resilience and resource efficiency and provides for a strong commitment to work with ambitious partners in response to common environmental and climate challenges, while recalling that the “do no harm” principle serves as a guiding principle in the European Green Deal;

HIGHLIGHTING the findings of the IPCC reports, in particular in relation to impacts of climate change on water resources, especially with North Africa and the Mediterranean region;

EMPHASISING that under the EU-Egypt Partnership Priorities 2021-2027, the EU will extend its support to Egypt’s transition to a green economy, including the sustainable development of the agricultural and water sectors;

RECOGNIZING the inter-dependencies in the field of environment of Egypt and the EU and the trans-boundary character of many environmental problems, the need to strengthen the links between sustainable water management, food, energy security, and ecosystems

STRESSING the need to reach an international agreement as soon as possible in line with the 2015 Declaration of Principles and international law on the issue of the Ethiopian Dam is a top priority to the EU and Egypt in order to protect Egypt’s water security, promote peace and stability in the wider region;

GUIDED BY the shared vision for a more sustainable management of water resources and tackling the challenges posed by water management in the context of a growing population, competing water demands, and a changing climate;

WELCOMING the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution on the follow-up to the UN Water Conference, which mandates a next UN Water Conference in 2026 and highlights the need for a UN system-wide strategy on water (currently under development).

EMPHASIZING the importance of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), as the framework for biodiversity conservation and restoration and its sustainable use and highlighting that the implementation of the GBF goals and targets that are linked to water and water-related ecosystems will significantly contribute to sustainable management of water resources and water security.

DESIRING to identify key environmental issues and approaches to sustainable development where exchange of experiences and cooperation could be mutually beneficial to strengthen and further develop cooperation between Egypt and the EU in the field of water management;

WELCOMING the role of Egypt’s flagship NWFE (Nexus Water, Food and Energy) and Hayah Karima initiatives, as well the long-term cooperation between EU and Egypt in the water sector as witnessed by the establishment of Team Europe Initiative on Water and Food Security in Egypt and in the co-organisation of the Cairo Water Week since 2018;

APPRECIATING the role of the recent UN Water Conference in highlighting the central role of water as a key factor in the achievement of many SDGs, through close linkages with climate, energy, agriculture, cities, the environment, population, poverty, gender equality and health, amongst others;

HAVE REACHED the following understanding:

1. OBJECTIVE

The objective of this Joint Declaration is to support Egypt’s water security through the sustainable management of limited water resources promoting a structured dialogue and policy exchanges that can inform strengthened technological, scientific, and management capabilities of Egypt and the EU. In addition, to build capacities in the field of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), especially in line with Egypt’s National Water Resources Plan 2037 (NWRP 2037), aiming to enhance water security, freshwater availability, and reuse, based on equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit principles.

This Joint Declaration relies on the strong commitment to achieving the goals of the external dimension of the European Green Deal and other EU initiatives to promote sustainable development, as well as of the Egypt Sustainable Development Strategy 2030, in a way to collectively advance the global climate agenda, in particular with regard to SDG 6, 13 and 14, and referring to the 2023 Sustainable Development Goals Report, which highlighted that the Northern Africa and Western Asia region has witnessed a troubling 18 percent rise in water stress from 2015 to 2020, reflecting a growing imbalance between freshwater withdrawal and total renewable freshwater resources. Similarly, the EU is also increasingly suffering the impacts of climate change on water resources, particularly droughts and floods.

2. AREAS OF COOPERATION

Egypt and the EU endeavour to encourage and promote cooperation on:

1. 1. Work towards the establishment of an Egypt-EU Water Partnership (EEWP), bringing together representatives of relevant stakeholders, including interested EU Member States, European and Egyptian governmental institutions, businesses, and civil society.
   2. Exchange views, best practices, and knowledge on regulatory approaches,  research, innovation, and business opportunities in the water sector in Egypt and the EU, including in the fields of  sustainable harvest of excess agricultural irrigation water, water reuse, wastewater treatment, water scarcity and drought management, taking into account lessons learned in the implementation of the EU’s Water Framework Directive and other relevant water-related acquis, and the ongoing on cooperation under major river conventions, such as the Danube and the Rhine.
   3. Include the EEWP as a part and parcel of a coordinated approach by the EU and its Member States, in coordination with other relevant stakeholders.
   4. Providing support for efforts to combat desertification and address land degradation, recognizing their critical role in ensuring the sustainable management of water resources in Egypt and the broader region.
   5. Support Egypt’s aspirations to become a regional hub for knowledge management and transfer on IWRM through technical assistance. Such support would focus on, but not be limited to, the following areas:
      • Formulation of strategies in the water sector to tackle climate change adaptation and address societal inequality. This encompasses the development and integration of modern irrigation techniques in agriculture, the assessment of the consequences of sea level rise, in particular in the Nile Delta and in terms of land salinity levels and needed coastal protection, as well as the identification of initiatives considering the water, food and energy nexus.
      • Promotion of sustainable harvest of excess agricultural irrigation water, water reuse and wastewater treatment technologies, with an emphasis on the needed actions for an effective water scarcity management.

• • • Promoting Nature-based Solutions (NBS) within IWRM as multi-beneficial tools, notably in the water sector as they help maintaining high water quality, support sustainable water supply and increase resilience to climate change impacts.]

• • • Establishment of sound governance practices at the sectoral level, rooted in internationally recognised green and sustainability standards. In this endeavour, Action on Water Adaptation and Resilience (AWARe) Initiative and its Pan-African Water Centre of Excellence, based in Cairo, would  be also involved, among others.

• • • Facilitation of technical-level exchanges on water issues between Egypt and the EU, through study visits and missions, as well as through regular Egypt-EU exchanges and jointly organized workshops and events.

• • • Improvement of the investment climate in the water sector, notably through the engagement of private actors and by facilitating the development and deployment of innovative financing instruments, as well as capacity building in formulating bankable investment programs and projects.

3. IMPLEMENTATION

1. For the implementation of the EEWP, Egypt and the EU envisage engaging in a policy-making cooperation that would be structured around an annual high-level meeting, ideally taking place once a year, and a Joint Working Group.
2. In these high-level meetings, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of International Cooperation, the European Commission, and the EU Delegation to Egypt should be represented. The chair for the meeting would alternate between Egypt and the EU. During the meeting, topics of common interest can be discussed and the results achieved via the EEWP should be assessed to guide future work.
3. The Joint Working Group should be composed of senior technical experts’ representatives from the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of International Cooperation, the Directorate-General for Environment of the European Commission, and the EU Delegation to Egypt.
4. The Joint Working Group should meet on a regular basis. It should elaborate and monitor an action-oriented annual work program contributing to achieving the objective of this Joint Declaration. The Joint Working Group should preferably hold its meeting through video-conferencing, approximately once a year.
5. A business forum held on a regular basis (e.g. during the Cairo Water Week) could also be decided in common agreement between Egypt and the EU, to further strengthen the implementation of the EEWP. It would bring together representatives of the private sector, financial institutions and experts, and may provide advice and recommendations on market and innovation trends.

4. FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS

Both sides should bear their own expenses arising from the cooperation activities carried out under this Joint Declaration.

5. NON-BINDING CHARACTER

This Joint Declaration does not create any additional legal or financial obligations under domestic or international law in respect of either side.

Dubai, 9 December 2023