Communication from the European Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - April 3, 2008 - Back to Resources Page

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The Palestinian Authority (PA) and the European Community first established contractual
relations in 1997 when the EC and the PLO on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA)
signed the Interim Association Agreement on Trade and Cooperation. The Euro-
Mediterranean Partnership inaugurated at the 1995 Barcelona conference established a policy
with ambitious and long-term objectives. On this basis, the EU-PA Action Plan was adopted
in May 2005, for a period of three to five years. It was inspired by the Palestinian Reform
Programme at that time, which aimed at building the institutions of an independent,
democratic and viable Palestinian state. In particular, it supported reforms in the area of
democracy and good governance, economic development and trade. Some encouraging steps
towards reform were realised in 2005 and early 2006. A first progress report was adopted in
December 2006.

The overall security and political context stalled progress in the implementation of the Action
Plan during 2006 and the first half of 2007. This changed after the EU resumed normal
relations with the Palestinian Authority in June 2007 and re-established political dialogue. An
EU-PA foreign ministers troika meeting took place in September 2007. A meeting between
the European Commission and the PA to discuss the re-launch of the Action Plan was held in
Ramallah in November 2007 with a view to convening the Joint Committee in the first half of
2008 and to formally re-launch the implementation of the Action Plan.

The present document reports on overall progress made on the implementation of the EU-PA
Action Plan and it is not a general review of the political and economic situation in the
Palestinian territory (oPt). While it should normally have covered progress between 1
November 2006 and 31 December 2007, in view of the developments referred to above it
reports on implementation starting in July 2007 although developments outside this period are
also considered when deemed relevant. Since this date, efforts by the PA government in the
security sector, fiscal redress, and governance have been noticeable. The PA Government also
set out its reform and development agenda and vision of the future Palestinian state in the
Palestinian reform and development plan 2008-2010.

Any consideration of the bilateral EU-PA relations in the context of the ENP Action Plan
must take into account the continuing Israeli occupation under which the PA operates, the
lack of control by the PA Government of the Gaza Strip, where Hamas enforces its own rule,
the restricted access and movement between Gaza and the West Bank and within the West
Bank, and the overall political developments in the Middle East, in particular the Annapolis
process launched in November 2007.

In view of the very short period covered by the present report (July-December 2007), no
overall assessment of progress in Action Plan implementation is provided here.

To download the full report please click below:

Attachment	Size
sec08_400_en.pdf	54.86 KB

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Communication from the European Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - April 3, 2008 - Back to Resources Page