The Council of the European Union has extended the Mandate of the EU Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point (EUBAM Rafah), as well as the Mandate of the EU Coordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support (EUPOL COPPS) in Ramallah, until 30 June 2019.
Both missions forms part of the wider EU efforts in support of Palestinian state building in the context of working towards a comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on a two-state solution.
EUBAM Rafah is mandated to provide third party presence at the Rafah Crossing Point to contribute to building confidence between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, including through building Palestinian capacity on all aspects of Border Management at Rafah. The Mission maintains readiness to redeploy to the Rafah Crossing Point once the political and security situation allows. € 2.04 million have been allocated for EUBAM Rafah's activities between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019.
The Council also extended the mandate of EUPOL COPPS until 30 June 2019. The Mission is mandated to assist the Palestinian Authority in building the institutions of a future state of Palestine in the areas of policing and criminal justice since January 2006. Through its contribution to security and justice sector reform, the Mission supports efforts to increase the security of the Palestinian population and to reinforce the rule of law. The Mission’s budget for the period between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019 amounts to € 12.667 million
