§ Mr. KaufmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will itemise every form of economic aid and economic and trade preference provided to Israel by the European Union, in each case, where possible, stating the financial value of such aid or assistance. [72]
§ Mr. David Davis[holding answer 28 October 1996]: Given Israel's level of development, it does not qualify for bilateral grant aid or structural adjustment assistance. It is eligible for non-subsidised European investment bank loans, EC regional aid and investment support.
In the past seven years the EIB has made seven loans to Israel totalling 165 million ecu.
Israel benefits from EC grant aid for regional co-operation, through initiatives under the new Euro-Mediterranean partnership launched at the Barcelona conference—details can be found in the Commission leaflet which I have placed in the Libraries of the House. The Euro-Mediterranean partnership is allocated 4.685 billion ecu in grants for the period 1995 to 1999 through middle east development and regulation.
Over the first nine months of 1966, a total of 30 million ecu was committed in grants to the 12 Mediterranean partner countries, Israel included, for regional programmes.