Strasbourg, 17/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who met the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas in Strasbourg, informed the press on Wednesday that she hoped that the new mechanism for providing direct aid to the Palestinians would be in place by the end of June but admitted that the operation was complicated and did not simply involve “opening up a new bank account” (EUROPE 9193 on Mr Abbas' speech).
In Strasbourg French Green, Hélène Flautre, President of the Human Rights Sub-committee took part in a meeting on Wednesday with other MEPs, Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner and EU Special Representative to the Middle East Marc Otte (“with the aim of discussing EU strategy with regard to the Palestinian government”, she said in a press release). Ms Flautre said that they needed to give the new government a chance and that “it is regrettable that the EU did not allow in the necessary time, the new Palestinian government to clarify its positions”. The MEP also affirmed that, “it would have been fair and realistic of the EU to identify objectives needed for granting aid, rather than establishing a list of preliminary conditions” for this aid. On the other hand, Patrick Gaubert (EPP-ED, France) protested in a press release against the “quasi-blackmail of telling MEPs, 'if you do not give us money, you'll get violence', this is unacceptable…Europe has to ensure that the money of all its citizens does not directly go towards financing a terrorist organisation, even if this had been brought to power democratically”.
European Parliament Plenary Session