The European Commission is to launch a new mechanism on Feb. 1 to support the Palestinian people, a news released from the commission said Monday.
The new mechanism, called the PEGASE, is a new instrument to channel EU and international assistance as a contribution to the building of the Palestinian State and as a follow-up to the current Temporary International Mechanism (TIM).
Based on the Reform and Development Plan of the Palestinian Authority, PEGASE, which will run for the next three years, will channel assistance to four key areas: governance, social development, economic and private sector development, and public infrastructure.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy, has invited all EU member states to use this new mechanism to channel their contributions.
"The European Union is strongly committed to support the Palestinian Authority's reform and development priorities aiming at boosting the economy and improving the life of all Palestinians," she said.
"PEGASE will provide greater stability and predictability to our action as the largest donors to the Palestinians and emphasize the ownership of the Palestinian Authority in the process of reforms and development," she added.
PEGASE will channel support for the three-year Palestinian Reform and Development Plan (PRDP) which was presented by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at the Paris Donor Conference on Dec. 17.
The mechanism, will be implemented in full partnership with the Palestinian authorities, the release said, under it, EU assistance to West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem will be coordinated locally with EU member states and other international partners.
The PEGASE mechanism, built upon the success of the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM), which attracted contributions from 19 international donors, will also be open to international donors, according to the news release from the commission.
Source: Xinhua
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