2023-10-09 16:41:15
The EU said it was reviewing its development aid for the Palestinians, without mentioning a suspension announced by one of its Commissioners.
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The European Commission announced that it was launching “an urgent review of European Union assistance to Palestine”, when a few hours earlier one of its commissioners, Oliver Varhelyi, announced the suspension of all payments planned as part of this development aid.
“All payments immediately suspended, all projects re-examined, all project budgets, including for 2023, postponed until further notice, re-evaluation of the entire program”, said the Hungarian commissioner in charge of neighborhood and enlargement, in a message on X (formerly Twitter).
“The scale of the terror and brutality once morest Israel and its people marks a turning point. It is not possible to act as if nothing had happened.”said this commissioner, on the eve of an extraordinary emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers, convened following the Hamas attack on Israel.
This announcement came as a surprise in Brussels and beyond, especially since a Commission spokesperson had only just clarified that a decision to review European aid to the Palestinians would be submitted to the 27 on Tuesday during this meeting.
The European Union, the largest financial supporter of the Palestinians, has a budget of some 1.2 billion euros between 2021 and 2024 to finance projects, particularly in education and health.
Protest in Madrid
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid, the head of Spanish diplomacy, Jose Manuel Albares, called Commissioner Varhelyi to protest once morest this decision, judging that it should first be discussed by the 27.
Same in Dublin. “Our analysis is that there is no legal basis for a unilateral decision of this nature taken by an individual commissioner and we do not support a suspension of aid,” said a spokesperson for the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. The latter specified that Ireland had formally asked the Commission to clarify the legality of its decision.
And if European capitals have condemned the “terrorist acts” of Hamas, several spoke out once morest the decision announced by Mr. Varhelyi.
“Two million people live in Gaza. They are also hostages of Hamas. With these methods, they are pushed into the arms of terrorists,” Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn strongly commented.
The European Commission then came in the evening to rectify the situation in the face of the outcry in these capitals. No more question of suspension but rather of a review of existing programs which will be done quickly and in consultation with the 27.
“The objective of this review is to ensure that no European funding allows any terrorist organization to carry out attacks once morest Israel,” the Commission clarified Monday evening.
As for the suspension of payments mentioned earlier by Mr. Varhelyi, it is not necessary, according to this press release.
“As there were no payments planned, there will be no suspension of payments,” underlined the Commission.
It will carry out this review “as quickly as possible and will coordinate with the Member States and its partners any necessary further action”, she added.
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