Ireland, along with eight other European countries, has criticised the EU for failing to “effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements” in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem.
In July last year, the International Court of Justice issued an Advisory Opinion demanding that all signatories, including all EU member states “abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel concerning the Occupied Palestinian Territory or parts thereof which may entrench its unlawful presence in the territory”.
Earlier this year, the European Parliament demanded to know how the EU was implementing that ruling. At the time the European Commission simply said discussions were ongoing.
Now nine European countries including Ireland, Sweden and Belgium have written to the European Commission to demand an investigation into the trade.
“We have not seen a proposal to initiate discussions on how to effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements. In a unified European market, where the European Union has the exclusive competence on trade policy, we need the European Commission to develop proposals for concrete measures to ensure compliance by the Union with the obligations identified by the Court”, the group of nine says in the letter seen by NewsIreland.eu.
“We would like to request an in-depth analysis by the European Commission”, the letter goes on.
Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prevot, was the first to put his name to the letter which has also been signed by Tánaiste Simon Harris on behalf of the Irish government.
Maxime Prevot wrote on social media:
“Belgium, together with eight other EU Member States – Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden – asks the European Commission to examine how trade in goods and services linked to illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory can be brought into line with international law.
This follows the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, which clearly states that third countries must refrain from any trade or investment that helps sustain an illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Upholding international law is a shared responsibility.
In a rules-based international order, legal clarity must guide political choices. A united European approach can help ensure that our policies reflect our values.”
The nine member states have asked for the European Commission to now issue a “clear timeline” to be laid out with a view to “achieving full compliance with the Advisory Opinion around its first anniversary.”
That means the EU will need to act quickly. The first anniversary is only four weeks away.