EU states push von der Leyen commission toward ban on settlement trade

EU foreign ministers discussed the proposal at a meeting on Monday. Speaking after the talks, the bloc's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said the option that attracted the most backing was a trade ban targeting settlement goods. Kallas stressed that any such measures would be aimed at the settlements rather than at Israel itself.

What Kallas said

Kallas said that EU ambassadors have been asked to take the work forward, and that ministers agreed they could reconvene an extraordinary meeting if necessary. "The option that got the most support was banning the trade with the illegal settlements," Kallas said. She added that the package under consideration is "not against Israel but against illegal settlements that undermine the two-state solution."

The Commission last week set out a range of options to curb trade with the settlements, including an import ban. Some EU diplomats have accused the executive of dragging its feet on the file, a charge that has sharpened the standoff. The Commission's reluctance has prompted the group of states to seek a qualified majority that could compel it to act.

The dispute pits EU institutions against one another and is exposing fresh divisions among national capitals. Germany and the Czech Republic are among the countries resisting tougher action on settlements, reflecting long-standing differences inside the bloc over how to respond to Israeli government policies in the occupied territories.

How the EU process works

Under EU treaty rules, the Commission alone can table trade legislation. To overcome that, member states need to gather a qualified majority either in the Council of the EU or through written procedure. Once such a majority is reached, the Commission is expected to act, though it retains discretion over the precise form of any proposal.

The political pressure comes amid broader unease in European capitals about the expansion of settlements, which most of the EU regards as a major obstacle to a two-state solution. A trade ban would represent one of the most concrete economic steps the bloc has taken in recent years in response to settlement construction.

What happens next

If the group succeeds in mustering the required majority, the Commission would face a difficult choice between ignoring a formal request from a majority of governments and risking a fresh institutional confrontation. Diplomats said the next round of ambassador-level talks is expected in the coming days, with another foreign ministers' meeting a possibility if the file does not advance.