European Union foreign ministers convened in Brussels on Monday to consider curbing trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, marking the bloc's most concrete step toward economic pressure over the occupation.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she had sought to unite the 27 member states around the issue and described trade measures on illegal settlements as the most realistic option. The European Commission has outlined three possible measures: a full or partial import ban, strict export licensing, or separate tariffs on settlement-produced goods. At least 20 member states had pushed the commission to draw up the options paper.
The Council's legal service has advised that trade restrictions could be adopted by qualified majority, bypassing the unanimity requirement — though the Czech Republic has reportedly signalled it would block broader sanctions that do require full consensus. The debate follows the International Court of Justice's 2024 ruling deeming the occupation unlawful and a UN General Assembly resolution calling for Israeli withdrawal within 12 months.