The European Union increasing its support for Palestinian areas
Press release 357/2005
16.11.2005
The European Union is getting ready to strengthen its support in the Palestinian areas in order to get the Rafah crossing on the border between Gaza and Egypt opened. Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja heard about the matter from the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, who had just flown in to London directly from the signing of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in order to attend a dinner in honour of Joschka Fischer. "It is a question of a very important decision for the Palestinians and the Israelis. At the same time, it means a new role and brings new responsibilities for the EU as a party of the Middle East peace process. The Palestinians will now, for the first time, have an opportunity to control their own border. The EU’s mission as a third party is to monitor the activities of the Palestinian authorities at the border crossing. In my opinion, an even more important aspect in the future role of the EU is to train them in the manner that observers would no longer be needed on the border once the transition period is over," Foreign Minister Tuomioja says.
The EU’s mission as an observer is based on an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The EU will also provide training support in border and customs related affairs. The operation is supposed to start towards the end of November, and it would probably involve participation of approximately 50-70 border and customs experts from the EU member states. Also Finland is getting prepared to take part in the operation.
At the same time, the EU is also getting ready to continue its support for the development of civil police force for the Palestinian areas. At the beginning of 2006, the EU will launch the operation EUPOL COPPS, continuing an earlier police mission. The goal is to support the development of the Palestinian Authority’s own police force so that it would eventually meet international standards. There has been one Finnish expert participating in the earlier operation. The growing EU support for the Palestinians is part of the international community’s endeavour to secure the viability of the Palestinian areas and to support the political process aiming at creation of an independent Palestinian state.
When advancing the peace process objectives in the Palestinian areas, the EU operates as a member of the so-called Quartet together with the UN, the United States and Russia. The Quartet’s economic coordinator for the Palestinian areas James Wolfensohn has drafted a program of immediate assistance for reconstruction of Gaza as well as a longer term plan for recovery of the Palestinian economy. The long term measures aiming at reviving the Palestinian economy include, among others, stabilisation of the state economy, and projects increasing the employment rate. The program of immediate assistance focuses on practical issues to guarantee the viability of Gaza, the border crossing questions included. Opening the Rafah crossing on the border between Gaza and Egypt is thus a major step forward in this program.
The EU is the biggest donor of assistance in the Palestinian areas. Annually, the combined Union assistance amounts to approximately 500 million euros, half of which comes from the Commission budget and the rest is given as bilateral assistance by the member states. As far as support to the Palestinians is concerned, the key tasks for the EU include development of the institutions and the security sector, as well as strengthening of the rule of law. The EU also aims at strengthening the civil society through regional peace programs, and at promoting the human rights and the realisation of democracy.
The general objective of the development cooperation Finland carries out in the Palestinian areas is to support the Middle East peace process. To date, Finland has provided approximately 33 million euros of assistance to the Palestinian areas through bilateral cooperation; about four million euros of the total has been donated during the year 2005. In addition, Finland has supported the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, since the year 1952 by an annual contribution of approximately three million euros from the appropriations for humanitarian assistance.
Additional information: Counsellor Sofie From-Emmesberger, Unit for the Middle East and North Africa, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5406, and Counsellor Tiina Jortikka-Laitinen, Unit of Civil Crisis Management, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5696.