EC Assistance to the Palestinians

European Community assistance to the Palestinians began in 1971, when the first contribution was made to the regular budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. In 1993 an international donor mechanism, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee pdf - 20 KB [20 KB] (AHLC), was established to coordinate the assistance to the Palestinians. Since 1994, taking together the contributions of the European Community and the EU Member States together, the EU has been providing more than half a billion euros in assistance to the Palestinians. Up until the start of the Second Intifada the EU’s assistance was focused on development assistance.

With the outbreak of the Second Intifada, and the severe decline of the economic and social conditions which put into question the viability of the Palestinian Authority, the EC’s assistance was re-orientated towards direct financial support to the PA budget, while at the same time assisting the PA in preparing itself for statehood, reviving the economy and addressing urgent humanitarian needs. In 2006 and 2007, a large part of EC assistance was channeled through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) for direct assistance to the Palestinian people. On February 1 2008, the EC launched a new mechanism, PEGASE, which channels assistance in support of the reform and development priorities of the Palestinian Authority. This includes providing assistance for the recurrent expenditures of the Palestinian Authority as well as funds for investment programmes, reflecting a gradual shift in emphasis from emergency support to longer-term priorities.

An important part of EC assistance to the Palestinians is currently funded through the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). The EC’s External Relations Directorate-General is responsible for the programming of financial assistance. This entails identifying priorities and proposing budgetary amounts per objective. Based on this input, the Commission’s Europe-Aid Co-operation Office establishes the financing plans and manages the projects from the identification to the evaluation phase. Humanitarian aid is managed by the Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office. The EC Technical Assistance Office to the West Bank Gaza Strip implements the bulk of EC assistance programs to the Palestinians.

See also:

Resources pledged at the International Conference in support of the Palestinian economy for the reconstruction of Gaza, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt pdf - 9 KB [9 KB] 02/03/09