Press Release
PR/12/2015
Jerusalem
4 JUNE 2015
The EU, Sweden and The Netherlands contribute around €20.3 million
to the PA's payment of May salaries and pensions
The European Union is making today a contribution of approximately €20.3 million to the payment of May salaries and pensions of around 67,500 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This contribution, which is channelled through the PEGASE[1] mechanism, is being funded by the European Union (€15.0 million) and the Governments of Sweden (c.€4.3 million/SEK 40 million) and of the Netherlands (c.€1.0 million earmarked specifically for PA salaries in the justice sector).
"Today's contribution to civil service salaries and to the payment of pensions in the West Bank and Gaza once more demonstrates the European Union's enduring support for Palestinian state-building" said the EU Representative Mr. John Gatt-Rutter. "This is part and parcel of the EU's wider commitment to peace based on the two-state vision. The EU's determination to do all it can to bring about peace – in the face of increasing threats to the two-state vision – was recently reaffirmed by the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini, during her visit to the region in the course of which she called on both sides to take the courageous decisions necessary to re-launch peace negotiations", he continued.
Background
Most of the European Union's assistance to the Palestinian Authority is channelled through PEGASE, the financial mechanism launched in 2008 to support the PA Reform and Development Plan (2008-2010) and subsequent Palestinian national plans. As well as helping to meet a substantial proportion of its running costs, European funds support major reform and development programmes in key ministries, to help prepare the PA for statehood. Since February 2008, around €1.8 billion have been disbursed through the PEGASE Direct Financial Support programmes. In addition, the EU has provided assistance to the Palestinian people through UNRWA and a wide range of cooperation projects.
[1]Mécanisme Palestino-Européen de Gestion de l'Aide Socio-Economique (PEGASE)
Contacts:
The Office of the European Union Representative:
Shadi Othman (02 5415 867, 0599 673 958)
Document Type: Press Release
Document Sources: European Union (EU), PEGASE
Subject: Assistance
Publication Date: 04/06/2015