Protocol on Economic Relations
The Protocol on Economic Relations, also called the Paris Protocol, was an agreement between Israel and the PLO, signed on 29 April 1994. The Protocol was incorporated with minor amendations into the Oslo II Accord of September 1995.
Position in the agreements
The Protocol, itself signed on 29 April 1994, was part of the Gaza–Jericho Agreement, which was signed in Paris five days later on 4 May 1994. The Protocol is mentioned in Article XIII of the Gaza–Jericho Agreement and attached to it as Annex IV with the full name "Protocol on Economic Relations between the Government of the State of Israel and the P.L.O., representing the Palestinian people".[1] It was incorporated with minor amendations into the Oslo II Accord of September 1995.[2]
In the Oslo II Accord, the Paris Protocol is incorporated in Article XXIV. The amendments to the Protocol (Supplement to the Protocol on Economic Relations) were annexed as Annex V of the Oslo II Accord. It contained two appendices.[3] While the Protocol initially applied to the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, its jurisdiction was extended to all of the Palestinian Territories in the Oslo II Accord.[2]
Consequences
Originally, the Protocol on Economic Relations was meant to remain in force for an interim period of five years and this limited time helped encourage Palestinian negotiators to sign it, to be the first step to make progress.[4]
Essentially, the Protocol integrated the Palestinian economy into the Israeli one, with Israel to control all borders, both its own and those of the Palestinian Authority. Palestine remains without independent gates to the world economy. The protocol regulates the relationship and interaction between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in six major areas: customs, taxes, labor, agriculture, industry and tourism. Since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip, the Paris Protocol cannot be fully applied to the Strip. However, Gaza importers still pay Israel customs, VAT and purchase taxes on goods that they import via Israel.[4][2]
See also
- Oslo Accords
- Taxation in the Palestinian territories
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Middle East economic integration
References
- ^ Annex IV - Protocol on Economic Relations between the Government of the State of Israel and the P.L.O., representing the Palestinian people. Israel MFA, 29 April 1994
- ^ a b c Main Points of the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, see last paragraphs. Israel MFA, 28 September 1995.
"The Economic Annex of the Gaza-Jericho Agreement,...has been incorporated into the Interim Agreement,...and its provisions, including the establishment of a single economic unit for the purpose of customs and import policy, now apply to the whole of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip." - ^ The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Annex V—Protocol on Economic Relations . Israel MFA, 28 September 1995.
- ^ a b Will we always have Paris?. Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, 13 September 2012. Archived on 2015-09-30
External links
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