MEPs demand the European Commission ban trade in products from Israeli settlements

MEPs demand a mandatory ban

Members of the European Parliament, at a meeting of the Committee on International Trade (INTA) in Brussels, called on the European Commission to submit a legislative proposal for a mandatory ban on trade in goods originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. In their view, declarations, labelling requirements and partial measures are no longer sufficient, and the EU has an obligation under international law to end support for settlement activity, Anadolu reports.

Dispute over the Commission's powers

INTA chair Bernd Lange criticised the Commission for using the lack of a qualified majority in the Council as a pretext not to start the legislative process. He pointed to the precedent of the legislation on the phased phase-out of imports of Russian liquefied gas, where the Commission put forward a proposal without first establishing the level of support among member states. 'It is completely unacceptable that in this case the Commission is blocking and hiding behind these closed discussions with the Council,' Lange said. Spanish MEP Hana Jalloul Muro called for an immediate Europe-wide mandatory instrument and warned that MEPs are ready to go to the Court of Justice of the EU over the inaction of the Commission and the Council. Dutch MEP Katharine van Weeren stated that over the previous five months there had been no progress on trade measures, and stressed that the Commission can propose a ban under the common trade policy without a prior majority. Irish MEP Barry Andrews asked: 'Why is there no proposal?' — and urged that the draft law be brought into negotiations between Parliament and Council.

What has already been adopted and what remains plans

Responding to the MEPs, European External Action Service spokesperson Vladimir Yanecek said that the situation in Gaza remains catastrophic and conditions in the occupied West Bank have deteriorated — due to the expansion of settlement plans and increasingly organised violence by extremist settlers. He listed the measures that remain 'on the table': the suspension of certain trade provisions of the EU–Israel association agreement, sanctions against extremist Israeli ministers and settlers, and the suspension of bilateral financial support for Israel. According to him, of this package only the sanctions against extremist settlers have been adopted — due to the lack of consensus among member states. Thus, a ban on trade in goods from the settlements remains, for now, a demand of MEPs rather than an adopted decision: the Commission has not submitted a legislative proposal.