20-05-2025
Growing call from European nations for review into EU-Israel trade agreement
THE EU FOREIGN Affairs Council is meeting today to discuss the possibility of suspending a major trade agreement with Israel.
Speaking to reporters this morning, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ministers would discuss a Dutch-led initiative to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a trade accord signed in 2000.
The proposal, spearheaded by Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, is based on Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which allows for suspension if the EU determines that Israel is committing grave violations of human rights.
'It's going to be a very, very hard discussion on Gaza,' Kallas said, noting that member states took different views in their approach to Israel's government.
The calls for review from the Netherlands have received support from France, Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, Sweden and at least four other EU nations.
In a letter to Kallas, Veldkamp said Israel's aid blockade was a violation of its obligations under international humanitarian law and therefore the EU-Israel agreement, which includes provisions to respect human rights.
He also expressed concern about Israel's plans to entrust the delivery of aid to Palestinians to private companies, rather than the UN and humanitarian organisations.
The UN has warned that up to 14,000 babies in Gaza could die within the next 48 hours if aid doesn't reach them in time, as Israeli forces maintain their blockade on the territory.
Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Jabalia, northern Gaza.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Humanitarian organisations have warned that the two million people living in Gaza are facing a food crisis, as
some have even resorted to boiling grass and eating animal feed
.
There is now a 'critical risk of famine', according to the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
Trade suspension implications
A suspension of trade would have major impications for Israel Israel, as the EU is Israel's biggest trading partner.
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The bloc accounted for 32% of Israel's total trade in 2024 – 34.2% of Israel's imports came from the EU, and 28.8% of the country's exports went to the EU.
The legal basis for the EU's trade relations with Israel is the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Total trade volume between the EU and Israel last year amounted to €46.8 billion.
The governments of Ireland and Spain first called for a review of the EU's trade agreement with Israel in February last year, but gained little traction.
Neale Richmond, minister of state for international development, told reporters in Brussels this morning that the EU does not require a unanimous decision to suspend the asociation agreement with Israel.
Commenting on the growing momentum to review the agreement, he said:
'I can only imagine it's because other member states have eyes and ears and they can see the absolute horrors that are unfolding on a daily basis live on our television screens in Gaza.'
Neale Richmond speaking to reporters this morning.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
'Children are dying, children are starving, families are being murdered every day,' Richmond said.
'This is not acceptable and it's clearly now time for the EU to look at that EU-Israel trade association and the very clear breaches of the human rights under article 2 [of the agreement].'
He underlined that they will make it clear to the bloc's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, that a majority or a unanimous decision is not needed to suspend the association agreement with Israel.
'It is now the time to make sure that not only can we hold Israel to account, but actually that we show that the EU believes in the rule of law and it believes in the protection of our values,' Richmond said.
'It's really important from the Irish government to absolutely underline the obligations to EU member states to the people of Gaza.'
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