Decision and Protocol on Palestine Liberation Organization’s participation in EU programmes published

Official publication has been made of a Council Decision authorising the signing and the provisional application of the Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement on trade and cooperation. This will allow the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to participate in certain EU programmes.

The negotiations had been ongoing since 2007. The Protocol lays down the financial and technical rules enabling the Palestinian Authority. Such rules include, for example, the need for the Palestinian Authority to contribute to the EU budget in some of the programmes it will participate in. Representatives of the Palestinian Authority will be further allowed to take part, as observers in the management comm