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European Union contributes €14.8 million through PEGASE to pay salaries and pensions of close to 78,000 Palestinian beneficiaries

PR/048/2008

77,951 Palestinian public service providers and pensioners will today receive a total contribution of over €14.8 million (NIS 75,612,470) towards the payment of their monthly salaries and pensions, through PEGASE, the European mechanism for support to the Palestinians[1].

"This contribution illustrates the ongoing support of the European Union, through PEGASE, to the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people," said Mr. Roy Dickinson, the European Commission Head of Operations in Jerusalem. "This long-standing partnership between the European Union and the Palestinian people makes a difference on a daily basis to the quality of life of thousands of families in the West Bank and Gaza."

The EU's PEGASE contribution will be added to this month's payment of salaries and pensions by the Palestinian Ministry of Finance, thus helping to ensure the continued delivery of essential public services to the Palestinian population. The €14.8 million contribution comes from an allocation of €42 million, which the EU recently made available to the PA, to help it to meet its obligations towards its citizens until the end of the year.

PEGASE channels EU assistance to help build a Palestinian State, in accordance with the priorities and needs identified by the Palestinian Authority. Launched by the European Commission on 1 February 2008, it is the main financing mechanism of the European Union, the largest donor to the Palestinians, and is open to contributions from other donors. The European Union's total contributions to the payment of salaries and pensions alone, through PEGASE in 2008, amount to €230 million Euros.

For further information in Arabic and English on the EU's assistance to the occupied Palestinian territory and the PEGASE mechanism, please visit: www.delwbg.ec.europa.eu

Contact:

Alix de Mauny or Haifa Siam, Press Office, European Commission Technical Assistance Office, 02-5415888
Out of hours number: 054 802 4915