Central
ENP
The partners of the EU include the PA institutions: Ministry of Finance and Planning, the technical Ministries and relevant PA departments and agencies. The European Neighbourhood Policy
(ENP) governs the EU's relations with the 16 Eastern and Southern Neighbours including Palestine. The 2014-2020 European Neighbourhood Instrument is the main financial instrument for implementing the ENP. Under this instrument, Palestine benefits from bi-lateral cooperation for direct financial support programme; support to Palestine refugees and development programmes.
Targeted priority sectors of EU cooperation are:
- Governance at local and national levels;
- Private sector and economic development;
- Water and land development.
Spatial planning and development
Urban development is hampered by the fragmentation of the Palestinian territory. In 1994, urban planning and other civilian matters were transferred to the PA. Planning responsibilities are divided between the Ministry of Finance and Planning and Ministry of Local Government.
The Ministry of Finance and Planning is responsible for
- Cross-sector planning,
- Developing comprehensive development policies with the participation of all relevant institutions; and
- Coordinating sector planning to ensure their consistency with cross-sector approaches and plans. (Any plan has to be approved by the Cabinet and ratified by the Legislative Council.)
The Ministry of Local Government regulates local authorities’ development plans.
The planning system in the PA is structured according to the 1966 Jordanian Villages and Buildings Planning Law No. 79, which created a hierarchical scheme consisting of a national, a regional and a local planning council.
Israel continues to have exclusive control over planning and construction in Area C of the West Bank. The 1971 military order 418, depriving Palestinians of the planning mechanisms in place under the Jordanian Planning Law. It concentrated all planning powers in the Israeli Supreme Planning Committee. MO 418 has not been formally repealed and remains in force in Area C today, despite the Oslo Accords envisaging the transfer of planning authority in Area C to Palestinian jurisdiction.
Regional
ENP
Some Governorates work with the EU and international donors on regional planning and development initiatives
Spatial planning and development
In Areas A And B, Governorates are responsible for
- regional planning activities;
- developing a regional Strategic Development Plan (the MoLG is responsible for monitoring and controlling planning activities in these governorates)
The Jordanian Law of 1966 constituted regional planning committees at the governorates' level. In 1971 the Israeli occupation forces issued a decree named "the decree concerning the organization of towns, villages and building in the West bank" which revoked the right of Palestinian authorities to engage in planning activities at the district level and transferred this right to a supreme planning council for each part of the territories, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. However, the Jordanian law has been restored in areas A and B.
Local
ENP
One of the key priorities of the ENP is support to governance at local and national levels. Support is provided to municipalities through this instrument
The Municipal Development and Lending Fund financed through this programme is responsible for:
- Helping to facilitate independent local government
- Managing and channelling funding to local government
- Helping local government develop independent financial and administrative capacities.
- Receiving donations from international institutions and governments, such as the EU and the World Bank
- Facilitating a move towards a "Strategic Development Planning" approach that invites local participation
Spatial Planning and Development
Municipal and village councils subject to MoLG monitoring are responsible for:
- Issuing building permits
- Undertaking local level planning work.
The Israeli occupation strongly influences urban planning and infrastructure, since local development projects envisaged for available land must receive Israeli authorisation before they can be implemented. Thus, local government cannot independently set its own development policies. This is particularly true for local governments in area C, where the PA has no planning authority.[1]
[1] Ibid., p. 10; ‘Local Government in Palestine’, pp. 33.
Responsible ministries/bodies
Sources:
