The first ever meeting of the EU-Palestine High-Level Political Dialogue took place in Luxembourg on 14 April 2025. Political matters and bilateral relations were discussed.

Also, the EU put on the table a package worth up to €1.6 billion to the Palestinian Authority. Yet there is still the issue of recognition. While already 150 countries worldwide recognize the State of Palestine, there are still 15 among the 27 EU countries, which don’t .

The support program presented by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, is designed to support the Palestinian Authority in a series of reforms and address the most urgent needs of the West Bank population. It is a three-year program until 2027, structured on three pillars: support for services for the population, support for the recovery and stabilization of the West Bank and Gaza, and support for the private sector.

The largest part consists of €620 million in grants for direct budgetary assistance to the Palestinian Authority so that the public administration can continue to provide services to the population. On its part, the Palestinian Authority has to progress on key reforms in the areas of fiscal sustainability, democratic governance, private sector development and infrastructure and public services.”

The second pillar provides €576 million in grants to support projects on the ground, mainly for energy and water infrastructure, to promote economic recovery in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. The Commission also included the allocation of 82 million a year to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Also, the European Investment Bank (EIB) is committed to financing the Palestinian private sector with loans of up to €400 million.

In the context of the political dialogue, the EU and Palestinian Authority exchanged views concerning the conflict in Gaza, the unfolding situation in the West Bank and the Israel-Palestinian relations, as well as the prospects for advancing the Two State Solution.

Participants discussed on bilateral relations, including the Palestinian Authority’s ambitious reform agenda, and how the EU can best support it in this crucial endeavor.

The meeting was co-chaired by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Mustafa. The Commission was represented by Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica and Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib.

Statement by the High Representative on the High-Level Dialogue between the European Union and the Palestinian Authority

 “The European Union welcomes the first meeting of the High-Level Dialogue between the European Union and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which represents a significant milestone in our relationship. The EU attaches great importance to its relations with Palestine and remains the largest provider of external assistance to the Palestinian people. The High-Level Dialogue is also an opportunity to discuss the conflict in Gaza and the importance of a political horizon based on the two-state solution.

The EU and the PA discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in line with the interim Association Agreement. The EU commends the PA’s readiness to continue its ambitious reform agenda, despite the challenges involved, and will continue to accompany and support the PA on this path. The meeting itself, and the financial package announced by the Commission, are a testament to the EU’s long-standing support to the PA and the Palestinian people in these challenging times.

In the High-Level Dialogue, the EU expressed its grave concern about the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza and Israel’s resumption of hostilities that have caused the death of thousands of civilians, including children. Israel must reinstate humanitarian aid to Gaza. The EU called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, the resumption of negotiations on the ceasefire in Gaza, and an enduring end to hostilities. The EUBAM Rafah Mission is also ready to resume its monitoring activity at the Rafah Crossing Point, once conditions allow it. The Mission helped more than four thousand people seeking medical attention and accompanying family members cross over to Egypt.

The number of civilian casualties, especially women, children and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the West Bank is unacceptable, and the risk of hunger and famine imminent. The EU reiterated its solidarity with the Palestinian people who continue to be heavily affected by events unfolding in both Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The EU also expressed its deep concern at the high level of violence in the West Bank and reiterated its opposition to the settlement policy of Israel and recalled its sanctions against violent settlers.

It is time to break the cycle of violence. Stability is also a prerequisite for swift reconstruction. In that regard, the EU welcomed the Arab Recovery and Reconstruction Plan endorsed at the Cairo Summit on 4 March 2025 and is ready to engage with its Arab partners, as well as with other international partners, on that basis.

The EU is resolutely committed to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace, based on the implementation of the Two-State solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable State of Palestine living side-by-side in peace, security and mutual recognition, with Jerusalem as the future capital of both states. The EU will continue to spare no effort to help revive a political process, including through the Global Alliance for the implementation of the Two-State Solution, and is looking forward to the High Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, hosted by France and Saudi Arabia in June.

The EU reiterated its condemnation in the strongest terms of the brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks conducted by Hamas and other terrorist groups against Israel on 7 October 2023. The EU recalled that Israel must fully comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, in all circumstances. The EU reiterates the importance of ensuring the protection of all civilians, including humanitarian workers, at all times, as well as civilian infrastructures. 18 months after the terrorist attacks by Hamas across Israel, the abduction of hostages, and the ensuing conflict in Gaza, there are still 59 hostages in captivity and no permanent ceasefire. The resumption of negotiations is essential to end the hostilities, ensure the release of all hostages, and ease the humanitarian suffering in Gaza.”

Link to the video press remarks : https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-270528  

During the press conference after the meeting, HR Kaja Kallas stated that the EU is strongly opposed to Israel’s settlement policy, including in and around East Jerusalem and she called on Israel to halt its settlement expansion. Kallas mentioned that the EU imposed sanctions on extremist settlers and promised she will work to seek consensus on further restrictive measures. 

Kaja Kallas also said that security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian security forces has been crucial and should be reinforced. Ultimately, Kallas added, the European Union position is clear on the fact that there is no military way through this war and that resuming negotiations is the only way to put an end to the suffering on both sides. “We fundamentally believe in a negotiated Two-State solution” Kallas said.

 Answering to a question about further sanctions on settlers, Kallas said that the discussions on the sanctions go in line with the countries’ support. “You know how the countries are in this regard. To send a very strong signal that we deplore the settler violence, we need to also have tangible steps and therefore we have proposed sanctions” said Kallas. HR Kaja Kallas explained that so far, not all 27 Member States are on board and that some Member States are saying that: “Yes, but it should be on equal footing to put members of Hamas under sanctions”. Kallas added that since the EU has put many Hamas members under santions and there are not many left, it cannot be equal footing anyhow. She said that if Europeans deplore in words, then they should also follow in deeds, and it is hard with 27.

See also – https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/european-neighbourhood-policy/countries-region/palestine_en