LOC15:34
12:34 GMT
BRUSSELS, Sept 27 (KUNA) - The European Parliament voted Tuesday to approve
a trade agreement that will help boost the Palestinian economy by enabling the
West Bank and Gaza to export farm and fisheries products directly to the EU
from early 2012.
The agreement between the EU and the Palestinian Authority grants direct
duty-free and mostly quota-free access to the European market for agricultural
and fisheries products from the West Bank and Gaza Strip and provides access
to Palestinian markets for some European produce, said an EP statement.
"This agreement offers an opportunity for the Palestinian people, a first
step towards the development of a nation", noted EP rapporteur of the
agreement Maria Eleni Koppa during the debate.
The EP believes believe that opening EU markets directly to Palestinian
products, which have up to now been under the direct control of the Israeli
customs authorities, will help the Palestinian people expand their economy.
The Palestinian Authority is at present the EU's smallest trading partner
in the Euro-Mediterranean region and one of the smallest worldwide.
Total trade amounted to 56.6 million euro in 2009, of which 50.5 million
euro were EU exports. Imports to the EU from the Palestinian Authority
amounted to 6.1 million euro in 2009, with agricultural products making up 70.
1 per cent of this total.
Imports rose, however, by 32.6 per cent in the first three months of 2010,
said the statement. (end)
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