The European Union (EU) made a contribution amounting to €10 million and another €0.62 million, from the Netherlands, to the Palestinian Authority (PA), for the salaries and pensions of Palestinian civil servants in the occupied West Bank.
The EU and the Netherlands made such a contribution to the PA’s payment of nearly 55,000 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners.
EU Representative Ralph Tarraf stated that “civil servants play an important role in Palestinian life by making sure that the public policies and services are carried out. They ensure the functioning of the system, stability and security.”
Tarraf added, “Civil servants and pensioners rely on their wages for their day-to-day life. Our contributions to civil servants salaries and pensions demonstrate once more the European Union’s enduring support for Palestinian state-building efforts.
He confirmed, according to Ma’an, that the EU, along with its Member States remain committed to the Palestinian people.
EU contributions go towards the salaries of Palestinian civil servants and pensioners to help ensure that essential services, such as hospitals and schools, continue operating in the West Bank.
Since the launch of PEGASE, the financial mechanism to support the PA Reform and Development Plan and subsequent Palestinian national plans and agendas, over € 2.3 billion have been donated by the EU through the PEGASE programs.
In addition, the EU has provided assistance to the Palestinian people through UNRWA and several other international NGO’s, including humanitarian and food aid programs.
(PNN archive image)
