| Author (Person) | Smith, Emily |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.12, No.21, 1.6.06 |
| Publication Date | 01/06/2006 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Emily Smith Date: 01/06/06 Differences in opinion remain over how to channel emergency funds to Palestinians, as the European Commission today (1 June) begins drafting its proposal. Almost a month after the Quartet - the EU, Russia, the US and the UN - agreed to set up the temporary mechanism, last night saw the deadline pass for international actors to voice their views. One US official warned that an agreement in the Quartet was still three to four weeks away. The Commission is now focusing on bridging the gap between those who want to pay salaries to some Palestinians and those who do not. Arab donors and some EU member states have pressed for the mechanism to pay the salaries of healthcare workers. But during a visit to Brussels on Wednesday, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Scott Carpenter said the fund could not cover salaries if it hoped to get US backing. "No one in the Quartet is talking about paying anybody's salaries for work they do for the government," said Carpenter. The US is keen to avoid substituting any expenditure from the Palestinian Authority in a bid to maintain pressure on the Hamas government to renounce violence and meet other key international demands. One EU diplomat also questioned how pressure could be maintained if salaries were paid: "If we fund doctors and nurses then they will all just become doctors and nurses." One proposal currently on the table is for the international community to pay "allowances" for those providing emergency medical assistance, without taking up any obligation to pay salaries. But diplomats from another major international donor warned that even if healthcare salaries were included, the impact on the Palestinian economy would be minimal. Diplomats have also warned that it may be difficult for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to back a mechanism that pays allowances to some sectors and not to others. The issue is to be a major focus of discussion when EU foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg on 12 June.
Article reports that almost a month after the so called Middle East Quartet - the EU, Russia, the US and the UN - had agreed to set up a temporary mechanism to channel emergency funds to Palestinians past the Hamas Government, differences in opinion remained. The European Commission began on 1 June 2006 drafting its proposal for the mechanism. The issue was expected to be a major focus of discussion when EU foreign ministers were to meet in Luxembourg on 12 June 2006. |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Countries / Regions | Europe, Middle East |
