EU support to wood processing and agriculture

The European Union has launched a 15 million euro ($16.5 million) program to promote economic development and support small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to become more competitive.

The two target sectors are wood processing and agriculture.

Virginie Cossoul, policy officer at the EU Delegation to Lebanon, said: “If our program succeeds, we will replicate it in other sectors.”

The program will be implemented over the next four years with the objective of identifying markets and accessing requirements, reorganization of small businesses to optimize resources, and diversifying and developing products.

The program also aims to upgrade work practices and technologies, managing quality, and networking with EU organizations for exchange of know-how.