BRUSSELS — European Union foreign ministers are gathering Monday to assess how much backing exists among member nations for new steps to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to diplomats and officials familiar with the discussions.
The talks will center on a confidential document prepared by the European Commission that outlines three possible approaches: an import licensing system, steep tariffs designed to discourage trade, or an outright ban. A senior EU diplomat and a European official confirmed the existence and general contents of the paper.
The EU has historically found it difficult to make sweeping decisions on Middle East policy, largely due to deep and longstanding disagreements among its 27 member nations — especially when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
However, pressure within the bloc to act on the settlement issue has intensified in recent months, driven by growing violence from Israeli settlers and mounting frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has continued to expand settlements in the region.
The EU took action in May, imposing sanctions on four organizations and three individuals over what it characterized as serious and systematic human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion stating that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and its settlement activity in the West Bank are illegal. The court also said that other nations should take steps to avoid trade or investment relationships that help sustain that situation.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar previously called efforts by some European governments to act on that advisory opinion “shameful.”
United Nations bodies and the majority of countries around the world consider Israel’s West Bank settlements to be illegal. Israel disputes this position, viewing the land as contested territory and pointing to a Jewish historical presence in the region spanning thousands of years.
One diplomat, speaking anonymously to discuss the confidential internal process, described what to expect from Monday’s session: “I think what you will see on Monday is a discussion on the options, and we will get a bit of a picture of where everybody is.”
Diplomats noted that no formal vote or binding decision on any specific measure is anticipated from Monday’s meeting.
The divisions among EU members also touch on the procedural question of how any decision would be reached. Some diplomats argue that a trade ban could be approved with a qualified majority — meaning at least 15 EU member states representing 65% of the bloc’s population. However, the Commission’s paper appears to suggest that a ban might require unanimous agreement among all members, a threshold that would make approval far less likely.
European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho confirmed that the paper was shared with member countries but declined to discuss its specific contents.
