EU says Israeli settlements illegal as 11 states impose trade curbs

The European Union on Monday reiterated its position that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law, calling them an obstacle to peace and the two-state solution, as eleven European nations and Canada moved to impose national trade restrictions on goods from these areas.

Eleven nations announce trade curbs

Anouar El Anouni, the European Commission spokesman for foreign affairs, told Anadolu that the bloc considers settlements established after June 1967 to be illegal. "The EU's longstanding position is clear: settlements are illegal under international law. They constitute an obstacle to peace and to the viability of the two-state solution," he said. El Anouni added that goods originating from these territories are not entitled to benefit from any preferential tariff treatment.

His remarks followed a joint declaration by France, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Canada, announcing their intention to impose national restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements. "We firmly oppose any action resulting in the annexation of Palestinian land and the forced displacement of Palestinian populations," the countries said, urging Israel to immediately halt settlement expansion and calling for investigations into allegations involving Israeli forces in the West Bank.

Growing pressure for EU-wide action

The announcement comes amid growing pressure on Brussels to take wider action beyond excluding settlement goods from trade preferences under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Several European governments, lawmakers and civil society groups have urged the bloc to suspend or restrict the agreement itself, arguing that the EU should leverage its economic relationship to address settlement expansion and the treatment of Palestinians.

EU-wide trade measures require consensus among member states, and divisions between capitals have so far complicated efforts to adopt a common position on restricting bilateral trade arrangements with Israel. While the EU has not yet imposed a general import ban on settlement products, it continues to assess options for broader trade measures, according to the Commission.