EU extends civilian missions in Palestine

KUWAIT, The European Union decided on Tuesday to prolong until 30 June 2025 the mandates of two of its Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) civilian missions in Rafah Crossing and the Palestinian territories. The two missions are the European Union Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point (EUBAM Rafah) and the European Union Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS). EUBAM Rafah was launched in November 2005, following the Israeli disengagement from Gaza, said an EU statement. In its current stand-by mode, EUBAM Rafah continues to advise and provide technical assistance on integrated border management to the Palestinian General Administration for Borders and Crossings based in Jericho and support projects on trade facilitation and processing of biometric passports. EUBAM Rafah is furthermore mandated to provide a third-party presence at the Rafah Crossing Point between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and to build confidence between the Government of Israel and the Palestinia n Authority. This part of the mandate is on hold since Hamas take-over of Gaza in 2007. However, the mission maintains its readiness to redeploy to the Rafah crossing point once all necessary conditions are in place for an effective and safe deployment, the statement added. EUPOL COPPS was launched in January 2006 and its current mandate focuses on support to the Palestinian Civil Police and wider justice institutions, in the areas of policing and wider criminal justice arrangements, contributing to Palestinian security and justice sector reforms. The EU also recalled that the EUPOL COPPS and EU BAM Rafah can play an important role in support of Palestinian state-building efforts. Source: Kuwait News Agency