A call to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories was made in a letter sent by 114 European Parliament lawmakers to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
In the letter sent before von der Leyen's annual State of the Union address, the lawmakers called for legislation banning this trade to be prepared without delay. Members of the 720-seat European Parliament said EU countries should adopt a common and consistent policy.
Call for an EU-wide ban on settlement products
The letter noted that France had pledged to take a similar step and that some EU countries had adopted or were preparing national-level trade bans. The lawmakers said the EU should act alongside allies committed to upholding international law.
The Israeli government's publication of a tender notice on August 18 for a settlement project in the E1 area was also cited in the letter as a development that increased the urgency. The letter said this step violated one of the red lines the EU had long articulated.
The lawmakers argued that limited measures, such as increasing customs duties or strengthening the existing differentiation policy, would not be sufficient. The letter stated that such practices would not meet obligations arising from international law.
Reference to International Court of Justice obligations
The letter also referred to the obligations set out by the International Court of Justice on the issue. It said that maintaining partial measures would prolong the EU's problems in complying with international law.
More than 100 legal scholars, along with numerous human rights organizations and trade unions, have also endorsed a similar legal assessment. The lawmakers said the EU needed to act to preserve its international credibility and described the proposed legislation as a positive step in the right direction.
The EU does not yet impose a general import ban on products from Israeli settlements. These products do not receive the trade preferences provided under the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
A unanimous vote by member states is not required for an EU-level trade ban; adoption by a qualified majority in the Council is sufficient.
Countries had previously announced a joint decision
France, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, as well as Norway, Iceland, Canada and the United Kingdom, announced on September 8 that they would ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories under a joint decision.
