EU Provides Euro 35.75M Grant

The European Union (EU) announced the signing of three grants worth EUR 35.75 million (LKR 8.26 billion) which will support Sri Lanka’s justice sector, help improve food safety, and strengthen efforts to mitigate climate change.

The grants were signed on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka by Secretary to the Treasury, S.R. Attygalle and were presented by the Ambassador of the Delegation of the EU to Sri Lanka Denis Chaibi.

Attygalle said that these grants will reinforce the Government’s efforts to strengthen the justice sector, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka and to improve food safety and quality targeting exports.  

Chaibi said, ‘The coronavirus pandemic has underscored the importance of strengthening a country’s justice system to ensure citizens are able to access justice in a timely, effective, and fair manner.’

He said that the EU support to improving food safety will benefit producers and consumers alike, while boosting the potential export of organic agricultural products to the EU and other markets. He added that the EU and Sri Lanka will continue to work together to tackle the common challenges of climate change, a major EU priority.

Accordingly, EUR 18 million of the grant would be allocated for Justice Sector Support Programme while EUR 10 million will help improve food safety, quality, and promote organic agriculture. 

The rest of the EUR 7.75 million is allocated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Industrial Sector project, implemented by UNIDO. 

(PA)