The European Union made yesterday a contribution of €18.98 million to the payment of November salaries and pensions of 65,000 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This contribution, which is channelled through the PEGASE[1] mechanism, is being funded by the European Union (€14.0 million) and Sweden (€4.98 million). By this contribution, the EU has disbursed around €153 million this year to support the Palestinian Authority payment of salaries, pensions, social allowances, and referral to East Jerusalem hospitals.