The European Commission guarantees that it has means to ensure that aid with European funds is not diverted towards terrorist activities, or towards Hamas, but European Commission spokespersons do not rule out the possibility of a cut in aid that was intended for medical support, salaries and projects in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The matter will be discussed at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the European Union, scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, via videoconference.
Austria and Germany announced the suspension of bilateral support to Palestine. The announcement by the two European countries comes on the eve of the emergency meeting of those responsible for diplomacy of the European Union, where they will discuss how to address the situation in the Middle East.
The Foreign Policy spokesperson, Peter Stano, affirms that the main point of the agenda of the virtual meeting of the 27 is a call for dialogue and a rapid end to hostilities.
“What we want to see is obviously an end to the current Hamas aggression, the release of all the hostages and subsequently moving towards a sustainable solution to the overall tense situation on the ground,” said Peter Stano.
In February 2023, Brussels allocated a package of €199.2 million to support Palestinian Authority spending on social grants, medical support, salaries and pensions, and projects in the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to projects funded by the EU in East Jerusalem.
This amount is in addition to the financial support already disbursed of €97 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East, which includes a complement of €15 million from the Food and Nutrition Fund. Resilience “with the aim of mitigating the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on food prices and food security”, according to data from the European External Action Service, which highlights that the EU’s total aid to the Palestinian people in The 2022 budget allocation framework amounts to €296 million.
The European Commission’s Neighborhood Policy spokesperson, Ana Pisonero, says that Brussels has a way to ensure that funds are not channeled towards terrorist activities.
“The European Union has very strict rules for selecting and vetting beneficiaries of European funds. And, of course, all beneficiaries of European Union funding are obliged to ensure that these funds are not made available, directly or indirectly, from entities, individuals or groups that have been designated under restrictive measures or their representatives,” highlights the spokesperson.
The issue marked the agenda of the European Commission’s daily press conference, with journalists questioning whether Brussels has guarantees that European funds cannot be channeled towards the purchase of weapons by Hamas.
Ursula von der Leyen’s main spokesperson, the president of the European Commission, Eric Mamer, guarantees that “the European Union does not finance, in any way, Hamas or its activities.”
Josep Borrell’s spokesperson calls for the easing of tension and the return of dialogue between Israel and Palestine, otherwise “the cycle of violence will only perpetuate itself”, which is why he believes that “both parties, the Palestinians and the Israelis, must find “a way to reactivate dialogue, to renew peace talks.”
“From the current point of view, it may seem very difficult to start a dialogue,” acknowledges Peter Stano, underlining that “the European Union believes that dialogue and negotiations are the only path to sustainable solutions.”
In these statements, the spokesperson for the high representative for foreign policy reiterated the position of the 27, stating that Brussels “recognizes Israel’s right to self-defense”, respecting international law and humanitarian law.
Source: TSF
