Brussels, 16/06/2006 (Agence Europe) - In its conclusions on the Middle East, the European Council approved the International Temporary Mechanism (ITM) proposed by the European Commission to ensure financial aid finds its way directly to ordinary Palestinians. The European Council urged the Commission to urgently pursue introduction of the ITM in cooperation with the Quartet, other international donors and the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. To get immediate results, the ITM should mainly cover the provision of essential supplies and the cost of running social services and healthcare, the supply of general services like fuel and social services, noted the Council, adding that the EU is prepared to provide a considerable contribution. The European Council urged Israel to restart transferring the Palestinian tax and customs revenue it has collected. On the fringes of the Council, Reuters reports that the EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the EU was close to agreement with its Quartet partners (the UN, the United States and Russia) on the establishment of the ITM. AFP reports that the day before, a White House spokesman, Tony Snow, said that the United States, which had been reluctant about the idea of providing aid directly to Palestinians whilst Hamas was in government, was now prepared to cooperate with the EU to provide direct aid to the Palestinian people.
In its conclusions document, the European Council stressed the urgent need to relaunch the Middle East Peace Process and called for rapid dialogue between the prime minister of Israel, Ehud Omert, and President Abbas. The European Council urged both sides to respect existing agreements and commitments, particularly the Quartet road map. It repeated the three criteria the Hamas-led Palestinian government has to respect, namely non violence, recognition of Israel's right to exist, and standing by existing commitments and agreements. The European Council expressed concern at the security situation in Gaza and the West Bank and condemned violence against Palestinian civilians and rocket attacks on Israel. It noted the Palestinian Authority's President's announcement that he would be organising a referendum on the recognition of Israel and the two state solution, and urged all Palestinian political forces to seek the broadest possible compromise in line with the Roadmap's objectives. The European Council urged Israel to avoid any action that might threaten the viability of the two state solution, like establishing settlements and building a separation wall.