EU, Finland and Sweden contribute to PA’s payment of August salaries and pensions – EU p;ress release/Non-UN document

The EU, Finland and Sweden Contribute to the Palestinian Authority’s Payment of August Salaries and Pensions

14 September 2011, Jerusalem — The European Union is making today a contribution of approximately €16.3 million to the payment of the August salaries and pensions of more than 83,000 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This contribution, which is channeled through the PEGASE¹ mechanism, is being funded by the European Commission (€11.0 million), the Government of Finland (€1.0 million) and the Government of Sweden (SEK 40.0 million or approximately €4.3 million).

“With this new monthly contribution to the salaries and pensions of the Palestinian Authority’s civil servants, the European Commission, Finland and Sweden demonstrate once more their continuous support to the Palestinian public sector in delivering services to the Palestinian population. The EU trusts that all donors will deliver on their commitments to ensure that such services will not be disturbed at this challenging time” said Acting EU Representative Mr. John Gatt-Rutter. “The generous contributions from the governments of Finland and Sweden also show the confidence that these two countries have in the EU’s PEGASE mechanism as a cost-effective and efficient means of supporting the Palestinian Authority in its efforts to build the institutions of the future Palestinian State.”

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 the subsequent PA Palestinian National Plan (2011-2013). 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 in line with the plan put forward by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in August 2009. Since February 2008, €1.16 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.

For further information in Arabic and English on the EU’s assistance to the occupied Palestinian territory and the PEGASE mechanism, please visit: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/westbank/

¹Mécanisme Palestino-Européen de Gestion de l’Aide Socio-Economique (PEGASE)

Contacts:

The Office of the European Union Representative:

Antonia Zafeiri (02 5415 859, 0548 024 915) & Shadi Othman (02 5415 867, 0599 673 958)