Brussels, 11/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 11 December, the European Court of Auditors called on the European Union to carry out an in-depth revision of the direct financial aid given by the EU to the Palestinian Authority, and said that this was essential. Between 2008 and 2012 (the period covered by the Court of Auditors' report), the EU granted €1 billion through the direct financial support of the Pegase programme.
Hans Gustaf Wessberg, who was responsible for the Court of Auditors' report, said that the viability of the aid had to be questioned if no changes were made. Among other issues, he underlined the need to use competitive procedures more for markets connected to the management and control of direct financial support (DFS), in order to make savings, and to simplify the current management system - which the EU is in the process of doing.
Wessberg stated that the Palestinian Authority must be encouraged to make more reforms, especially with regard to the civil service and the management of public finances. He acknowledged, however, that since 2012 the European Commission has indeed been working on the reform of the civil service with the Palestinian Authority. The Court of Auditors recommends that the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) strengthen the programming of aid and, more precisely, link it more closely to the new EU-Palestinian Authority action plan. In addition, the Court of Auditors recommends that the Commission and the EEAS should plan funding on a pluriannual basis, and develop performance indicators - which the EU is in the process of doing - particularly in the areas of health, education and public finance management, in order to assess and show better the results obtained.
The Court of Auditors also calls on the EEAS, the Commission and all the donors to speak to Israel more - as part of the enlarged cooperation between the EU and Israel - in order to bring Israel to take the necessary measures to contribute to guaranteeing the effectiveness of the direct financial support of the Pegase programme.
Suspending aid to Gaza for civil servants' pay. Wessberg suggested suspending the programme for employees in Gaza and redirecting the funds to the West Bank. He criticised the fact that civil servants are paid when they do not work. The Court of Auditors does not believe that the Commission and EEAS have paid enough attention to this issue. Peter Stano, the spokesperson for Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle, said that these people receiving support are prevented from working. He said that the Commission and the EEAS believe that the Palestinian Authority should continue to support these workers because if this does not happen these people will be much more likely to be contacted and influenced by extremists. Stano added that the EU support is a key element in maintaining the Palestinian Authority's presence in the Gaza Strip and a key element in the unity of the future Palestinian state. A Commission press release adds that a solution that takes into account the concerns expressed by the Court of Auditors, while allowing the Palestinian Authority to continue supporting its employees in the Gaza Strip, needs to be found.
The EEAS and the Commission welcomed the Court's conclusion, according to which they have succeeded in implementing support to the Palestinian Authority, despite the difficult circumstances. They add that there is no evidence of corruption or bad management. (CG/transl.fl)