Brussels, 24/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - As announced during Monday's Council (see EUROPE of 24 January, p.4), the European Commission approved a new financial facility of EUR 30 million to help the Palestinian Authority meet urgent expenses. It will allow the Authority to pay the salaries of civil servants and meet the costs of health and education. Payments will be made out of a special fund of EUR 90 million set up in December 2000, to be paid to the Palestinian Authority in the form of refundable advances, if Israel does not transfer tax receipts on time to the Palestinian Authority, states the Commission. The IMF, which controls the budgetary expenditure of the Palestinian Authority on behalf of donors, noted that Israel must still repay a large part of customs receipts despite the payments made in November.