"As President of the European Parliament I am very much committed to raising awareness about the Holocaust and the atrocities perpetrated against the Jewish people in Europe. I perdonally acknowledge the importance of the restitution and compensation for immovable property, Jewish art heritage and other cultural assets pillaged during the Holocaust and its aftermath,’’ said European Parliament President Martin Schulz.

In a letter to Gunnar Hokmark, a Swedish member of the European Parliament, who chairs the European Alliance for Holocaust Survivors (EAHS), Schulz also said: "I fully endorse implementation of the European Parliament resolutions on the Return of Plundered Property to Jewish Communities and the Restitution of the Possessions of Holocaust Victims.”

MEP Hökmark welcomed Schulz’s letter. ‘’The European Parliament must continue to call for restitution as integral to the rule of law and respect for the rights and dignity of survivors and their families," he said.

The EAHS was launched last year by the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO). Thirty-six Members of the European Parliament from diverse parties and countries have signed a EAHS letter calling for strengthening efforts for the restitution of Holocaust-era property, and related concerns facing Holocaust survivors.

WJRO Chair of Operations Gideon Taylor hailed President Schulz's letter, calling it "a major step forward to address with compassion and justice the care of aging Holocaust survivors, and the return of property unjustly taken during the Holocaust and its aftermath.”

"We look forward to working with President Schulz and the European Alliance for Holocaust Survivors in fulfilling this sacred obligation to assist Holocaust survivors in the twilight of their lives," Taylor said.

The World Jewish Restitution Organization is the legal and moral representative of world Jewry in pursuing claims for the recovery of Jewish properties seized during the Holocaust in all countries except Germany and Austria.