BRUSSELS — The European Commission is proposing tough measures to reduce imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as part of options presented to national capitals this week.
A paper from the EU’s executive branch, marked confidential and seen by POLITICO, states that “strengthened enforcement may reduce imports from settlements channelled into the EU in violation of existing rules, without requiring new EU legal instruments.”
Among the ideas being considered are an import licensing system, whereby goods from illegal settlements would need special permission to be exported to the bloc; tariffs targeting goods originating in the settlements; or an outright ban on imports from illegal settlements.
The options paper was requested by the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, following a meeting with foreign ministers in Luxembourg last month. The Commission has already presented suggestions for possible trade restrictions and sanctions on “extremist” Israeli ministers, but these have so far not found the support required from member countries.
Suspending a trade agreement with Israel in its entirety or sanctioning individual politicians would require unanimous support from all 27 EU countries, and Czechia has vowed to veto any such move.
While goods from Israeli West Bank settlements are in theory excluded from preferential trade arrangements for export to the EU, capitals have raised concerns that they could be benefiting from those terms by not being properly labelled or monitored.
Foreign ministers will discuss the proposals at a summit in Brussels on July 13.
“It’s a symbolic measure,” said one EU official critical of the proposals, granted anonymity to speak freely. “To do a symbolic measure now is too little, too late — and when they have elections, it’s driving the rhetoric that Israel’s hardline ministers want.” Israel holds a parliamentary election in October.
