Chairwoman Hautala has received with alarm reports over torture in prisons operated by the Palestinian Authority and partly funded by the EU. To received more information on the matter, she presented on 15 of March a question of the allegations to the EU. [:]
Recently reports of torture in prisons in Palestinian Authority operated prisons have come to light. Human Rights Watch is amongst the organisations that have obtained information of such violations.

Information of abuses by the Palestinian Authority Preventive Security Service, known as El Wikai, the Palestinian Authority General Intelligence Services, known as Mukhabarat, and possibly by the Military Intelligence Security Forces, known as Ishtikhbarat, has been brought to my attention in person.

The possible responsibility of EU governments in this regard has been raised as it would seem plausible that the people allegedly responsible for these violations are officials of the Palestinian Authority, which receives funding from the EU; since 2004 the EU has given to the Palestinian Authority around 4.6 billion Euros.

Could the Commission/EEAS declare the specific beneficiaries of EU funding within the Palestinian Authority, with particular attention to any funding that the security, intelligence and military services might have received, and the safeguards applied to ensure compliance with universal human rights standards by the Palestinian Authority upon receipt of EU funding? How does the Commission/EEAS intend to ensure that no EU funding will be used for abusive and/or criminal acts by the Palestinian Authority, the recipient?