European Union foreign ministers are set to discuss the possibility of imposing a ban on imports of products originating from Israeli settlements in occupied territories, following pressure from several member states calling for stronger measures.
According to AFP, diplomats said Monday’s debate in Brussels is not expected to result in immediate decisions but will focus on assessing whether there is sufficient support among EU countries to move forward with the initiative.
The European Commission has presented several options this week for restricting trade with Israeli settlements, including a potential import ban. However, disagreements remain in Brussels over whether such a measure would require unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states or could be adopted through a qualified majority vote.
Several EU countries, including Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain, have already introduced their own trade restrictions on products originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, which are considered illegal under international law.
The discussion comes amid growing debate within the EU over its foreign policy approach toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the use of economic measures as a tool to influence compliance with international law.
