OREANDA-NEWS. The EU adopted a €38.6 million development package for Palestine. It is the second part of the EU’s 2016 annual support, confirming the EU's long-standing commitment to the Palestinian people and the viability of the two-state solution. This brings the total 2016 EU support to Palestine to over €291 million.

The newly adopted assistance package consists of the following three programmes which target the needs of the Palestinian population in Gaza, Area C and East Jerusalem:

  • Strengthening governance of the Palestinian Authority (€8.1 million): this programme aims at providing assistance to the Palestinian Authority to improve its democratic outlook in view of preparing Palestinian institutions for the two-state solution. In this context, the EU will notably support the Palestinian Authority in meeting its obligations as party of seven core United Nations human rights treaties. This assistance will also help the Palestinian Authority operating penitentiary and judicial facilities in full compliance with international standards and will help carrying out a general population, housing, and establishment census in 2017.