Belgian MEP says grounds exist to suspend EU-Israel trade agreement
EU-Israel Association Agreement, in force since 2000, contains a human rights clause tying relationship to respect for human rights
BRUSSELS (AA) – A Belgian member of the European Parliament, Yvan Verougstraete, declared Thursday that sufficient grounds now exist to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, pointing to illegal Israeli settlements and the continued flow of settlement-linked goods into European markets.
Verougstraete, who also heads the Belgian party Les Engagés, argued that settlement-related violations combined with questionable trade practices provide adequate basis to revisit the agreement.
His statement followed reports that Israel had approved 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, which he characterized as breaches of international law.
The EU-Israel Association Agreement, in force since 2000, contains a human rights clause tying the bilateral relationship to respect for democratic principles and fundamental rights.
Verougstraete contended that allowing goods produced in Israeli settlements to circulate freely within EU markets creates serious legal, commercial, and ethical contradictions.
He argued that such trade effectively provides economic backing for settlement expansion, and called on the EU to align its trade practices with its stated legal positions.
“Europe cannot condemn the illegality of the settlements on one hand, and continue to accept their products on the other,” he said, framing consistency as a binding obligation rather than a matter of choice.
Verougstraete confirmed he had raised the issue with the European Commission together with fellow MEPs Ana Miranda Paz and Cecilia Strada, urging the body to take ownership of the situation and consider triggering the agreement’s existing mechanisms.
The broader context is stark: since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, violence in the West Bank has sharply escalated, resulting in over 1,148 Palestinian deaths, nearly 12,000 injuries, and more than 22,000 arrests.
This follows a landmark July 2024 International Court of Justice opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory unlawful and calling for the removal of all settlements from the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
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