EU Imposes Measures Targeting Israel’s Trade Preferences
(MENAFN) The European Union has made a significant shift in its stance on Israel's actions in Gaza, with officials now proposing targeted measures in response to the ongoing human rights violations in the region.
Kaja Kallas, the Prime Minister of Estonia, emphasized the collective EU agreement that the situation in Gaza is “untenable.” However, she also raised concerns about “dangerous developments” in the West Bank that threaten the future of a two-state solution.
“I want to be very clear, the aim (of the new measures) is not to punish Israel. The aim is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Kallas clarified.
Speaking after a meeting of the EU’s foreign affairs commission, Kallas criticized Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza City, calling it a dangerous escalation that would exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis.
“All member states agree that the situation in Gaza is untenable. The war needs to end. The suffering must stop, and all hostages must be released. We must use all the tools we have towards this outcome. We must also not lose sight of the dangerous developments in the West Bank that reduce the viability of a two-state solution,” Kallas added.
She also noted that public opinion within EU member states is increasingly demanding political action to alleviate the suffering in Gaza. “The public opinion in member states is really shifting because the suffering in Gaza is visible, and people want to see an end to this suffering on a political level,” she said.
In related news, Maros Sefcovic, the European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, outlined the specifics of the proposed measures. He explained that the changes would target key provisions of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, which covers the free movement of goods, services, public procurement, competition, and intellectual property.
“The proposal means that imports from Israel to the EU will lose preferential access to the EU market,” Sefcovic told reporters in Brussels. “These goods will be charged duties at the level applied to any other third countries with whom the EU has no free trade agreement.”
This move reflects the EU’s increasingly critical stance on Israel's actions in Gaza, as the international community continues to pressure for a resolution to the humanitarian crisis.
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