France, Sweden and five other countries within the European Union have called for European sanctions to be imposed on Israel. These demands came to the fore ahead of the EU foreign ministers' meeting scheduled for April 21 in Luxembourg. The proposed sanctions include a ban on products from Israeli settlements in the European market. The EU Council has struggled to reach a decision on economic sanctions against Israel over the past two years and has yet to establish a common position. These developments are seen as a significant step regarding the EU's Israel policy and regional tensions.