EU and Netherlands contribute €18.1 million to PA’s payment of June salaries and pensions – EU press release/Non-UN document

Press Release

PR/15/2015

Jerusalem

6 July 2015

The EU and the Netherlands contribute around €18.1 million to the PA's payment of June salaries and pensions

The European Union made yesterday a contribution of approximately €18.1 million to the payment of June 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 (€17.0 million) and the Government of the Netherlands (c.€1.1 million earmarked specifically for PA salaries in the justice sector).

 "This contribution to salaries and pensions is another evidence of our strong support for the efforts of the Palestinian Authority to provide essential public services to the Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza. Ahead of Eid Al Fitr, I want also to take this opportunity to commend the extraordinary work of all those involved in delivering public services, whose efforts we are supporting through this salary payment, and wish everyone a peaceful Eid ", said the EU Representative Mr. John Gatt-Rutter.

 “Through this contribution, the Netherlands continues to support development and reform of the justice sector with its European partners” said Peter Mollema, the Netherlands Representative..

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, more than €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)

http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/westbank/