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European Union contributes to Palestinian salaries and pensions

Today, the European Union made its sixth contribution this year to the Palestinian Authority's payment of its civil service salaries and pensions, both in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. This is part of a €158 million support package to be paid out in the course of 2010 through the EU's PEGASE[1] mechanism. The contribution benefits civil servants and pensioners, out of which more than one third are in Gaza, and help to ensure the basic delivery of public services by the Palestinian Authority.

"Let me reiterate again that we remain strongly committed to the Palestinian people and to the Palestinian Authority as they strive to lay the foundations of the future Palestinian State," said the European Union Representative Mr. Christian Berger.

PEGASE channels EU assistance to help build a Palestinian State, in accordance with the priorities and needs identified by the Palestinian Authority in its three year reform and development programme (PRDP). Launched by the European Commission on 1 February 2008, it is the main financing mechanism of the European Union. As well as helping the Palestinian Authority to meet a substantial proportion of its running costs, European funds support major reform and development programmes in key ministries, to help prepare the Palestinian Authority for statehood in line with the plan proposed in August 2009 by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Since 2007 the EU has provided total assistance to the Palestinian people, including civil society organizations and refugees, averaging more than €500 million annually.