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Saudi Gazette
a day ago
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Iran conflict to derail EU review of Israeli association agreement
BRUSSELS — The EU is unlikely to suspend its association agreement with Israel in the context of its current conflict with Iran, sources familiar with the issue have told Euronews. Last month a majority of the EU foreign ministers backed a Dutch proposal to review the bloc's ties with Israel over its actions in Gaza. The EU's diplomatic corps, the External Action Service (EEAS), has been reviewing the bloc's wide-ranging trade and cooperation agreement with Israel over its military offensive in Gaza and the West Bank as well as its blocking of food, fuel, water and basic medical supplies to the besieged population. The report was initiated to establish whether Israel violated its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a broad-ranging pact that defines the trading and diplomatic relations between both sides. On Monday, EU foreign ministers will debate the review, with several EU diplomatic sources saying it expected to find Israel in breach of the provisions. But two sources familiar with the issue told Euronews that member states will not respond by suspending in all, or even part the agreement with Israel due to its conflict with countries remain keen to push for a suspension. 'We can safely assume what the review will say; if it's going to be in any way credible it'll say Israel is in breach of Article 2,' an EU diplomat from a country which supported the review told Euronews, adding: 'The main matter of business is getting a ceasefire in Gaza – and whatever we decide to do, it should be aimed at getting at that.'But a momentum of pressure recently applied to Israel has now slowed due to the conflict with Iran, the two sources said.'The pendulum has swung back to [support for] Israel."'It's unlikely the EU will suspend EU-Israel agreement due to Iran Israel war,' one of the sources position of Germany in the negotiations is also critical to the discussions as a decision to suspend part of the agreement under qualified majority voting will require the weight of month German Chancellor Friedrich Merz shifted the support of Germany — traditionally a stalwart ally of Israel —behind the decision to review the Association Agreement, saying he no longer understood the Israeli army's goal in Gaza.'To harm the civilian population in such a way... can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism,' Merz said at the Merz has strongly supported Israel in the context of the current strikes on Iran saying at the G7 on Tuesday that 'Israel is doing the dirty work for the rest of us'.'The strikes on Iran should be additional pressure on Israel to suspend the association agreement,' Martin Konecny, who heads the European Middle East Project, told Euronews.'But now it could create the opposite, it will literally be reduced and it brings the attention away from Gaza,' he foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has reiterated EU calls for a diplomatic resolution to the Israel-Iran conflict. And again called on all sides to 'abide by international law, and de-escalate the situation'.'We will not lose sight of what is happening in Gaza... we again call for immediate full aid access, ceasefire, and the release of hostages,' she rejected the EU decision to review the bloc's trade and cooperation pact with the country over its intensified offensive in Gaza."We completely reject the direction taken in the statement, which reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing," Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said on X at the time of the decision. — Euronews
Euronews
2 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
Iran conflict to derail EU review of Israeli Association agreement
The EU is unlikely to suspend its association agreement with Israel in the context of its current conflict with Iran, sources familiar with the issue have told Euronews. Last month a majority of the EU foreign ministers backed a Dutch proposal to review the bloc's ties with Israel over its actions in Gaza. The EU's diplomatic corps, the External Action Service (EEAS), has been reviewing the bloc's wide-ranging trade and cooperation agreement with Israel over its military offensive in Gaza and the West Bank as well as its blocking of food, fuel, water and basic medical supplies to the besieged population. The report was initiated to establish whether Israel violated its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a broad-ranging pact that defines the trading and diplomatic relations between both sides. On Monday, EU foreign ministers will debate the review, with several EU diplomatic sources saying it expected to find Israel in breach of the provisions. But two sources familiar with the issue told Euronews that member states will not respond by suspending in all, or even part the agreement with Israel due to its war with Iran. Some countries remain keen to push for a suspension. 'We can safely assume what the review will say; if it's going to be in any way credible it'll say Israel is in breach of Article 2,' an EU diplomat from a country which supported the review told Euronews, adding: 'The main matter of business is getting a ceasefire in Gaza – and whatever we decide to do, it should be aimed at getting at that.' But a momentum of pressure recently applied to Israel has now slowed due to the war with Iran, the two sources said. 'The pendulum has swing back to [support for] Israel." 'It's unlikely the EU will suspend EU-Israel agreement due to Iran Israel war,' one of the sources said. The position of Germany in the negotiations is also critical to the discussions as a decision to suspend part of the agreement under qualified majority voting will require the weight of Germany. Last month German chancellor Friedrich Merz shifted the support of Germany - traditionally a stalwart ally of Israel - behind the decision to review the Association Agreement, saying he no longer understood the Israeli army's goal in Gaza. 'To harm the civilian population in such a way… can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism,' Merz said at the time. However, Merz has strongly supported Israel in the context of the current strikes on Iran saying at the G7 on Tuesday that 'Israel is doing the dirty work for the rest of us'. 'The strikes on Iran should be additional pressure on Israel to suspend the association agreement,' Martin Konecki, who heads the European Middle East Project, told Euronews. 'But now it could create the opposite, it will literally be reduced and it brings the attention away from Gaza,' he said. EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has reiterated EU calls for a diplomatic resolution to the Israel-Iran war. And again called on all sides to 'abide by international law, and de-escalate the situation'. 'We will not lose sight of what is happening in Gaza... we again call for immediate full aid access, ceasefire, and the release of hostages,' she added. Israel rejected the EU decision to review the bloc's trade and cooperation pact with the country over its intensified offensive in Gaza. "We completely reject the direction taken in the statement, which reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing," Marmorstein wrote on X,' Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said at the time of the decision. The EU's so-called Equal Treatment directive — aimed at extending protection against discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation — has reached a dead end, several EU officials told Euronews. First proposed by the European Commission in 2008, the anti-discrimination bill has remained stalled in the European Council, despite progress in the European Parliament. The Council, which represents the 27 EU member states, has been unable to reach a consensus for years. In February, the EU executive removed the proposal from its work programme for 2025, arguing that it was blocked and "further progress was unlikely". The draft bill was added to those to be withdrawn within six months, prompting the Polish presidency of the Council to try to reach an agreement under time pressure, but to no avail. 'While a very large majority of delegations has long supported the Directive, [...], certain others have expressed concerns and requested clarifications as relating to the perceived lack of legal certainty, the division of competences and compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, and the impact of the proposal, in particular in terms of potential financial implications,' reads a Council document seen by Euronews, sent by the presidency to member states on 6 June. According to an impact assessment by the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS), around three-quarters of EU citizens would potentially benefit from the directive's protection, while implementation costs would remain 'within acceptable limits'. However, three member states — Czechia, Germany, and Italy — still oppose the draft compromise text, which requires unanimous support from all 27 countries before negotiations can begin with the Parliament and the Commission to finalise the bill. 'In the absence of any additional drafting suggestions from the Member States with outstanding concerns, the Presidency has not been able to propose a new compromise text,' reads another leaked document from the same date, also seen by Euronews. The Equal Treatment directive is expected to be discussed during a meeting of EU ministers responsible for social policy on Thursday. They will hold a policy debate on whether a compromise is within reach and whether there is a need for an alternative proposal. The six-month Polish presidency of the Council ends later this month, and while the Danish presidency will try to continue working on the file from July, several EU officials claim that reaching an agreement remains very 'unlikely'. An EU diplomat described the pursuit of a compromise as 'thorny', pointing to the Commission's continued interest in withdrawing the proposal — a move some member states also support. Instead, the Commission plans to focus on non-legislative initiatives in 2025, such as the already unveiled roadmap on women's rights and the forthcoming strategies on LGBTIQ rights and anti-racism — a shift that has drawn criticism from NGOs and civil society organisations. 'Roadmaps are not laws; they are political statements with no enforceable protections,' argued Julie Pascoët, policy manager at the European Network Against Racism (ENAR). 'For these strategies to be effective, the EU must use them to highlight the urgent need for stronger legislation and concrete action,' Pascoët added. The 2008 anti-discrimination bill aimed to close critical protection gaps in areas such as social protection (including social security and healthcare), education, and access to goods and services, including housing. 'Whilst it is extremely disappointing that the Commission goes along with the global political trend against equality policies, the unacceptable fact is that a small group of countries, led by Germany, have been blocking the adoption of this directive for 17 years,' Alejandro Moledo, deputy director at the European Disability Forum, told Euronews. According to the latest EU survey, more than half of respondents said there is widespread discrimination in their country on the basis of being Roma (65%), skin colour (61%), ethnic origin (60%), gender identity (being transgender – 57%), or sexual orientation (54%).
Euronews
24-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Kallas 'optimistic' EU leaders can approve new military aid package for Ukraine next week
The EU's top diplomat said on Monday that she is "optimistic" leaders will quickly agree on fresh money to boost short-term military aid to Ukraine as Europe grapples with being sidelined from talks to end Russia's three-year-old war against its neighbour. "Ministers broadly supported the new initiative for military aid for Ukraine, and of course, the details, and especially the numbers, will be decided and discussed at the extraordinary European summit on 6 March," Kaja Kallas told reporters after a meeting of foreign affairs ministers in Brussels. The meeting, held on the third anniversary of the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, saw ministers discuss a proposal put forward by Kallas' service, the EU's External Action Service (EEAS), "to accelerate and focus the efforts of the EU and member states to meet Ukraine's most pressing short-term needs", according to a draft seen by Euronews. Under the package, EU member states would pledge to deliver, "as soon as possible in 2025", at least 1.5 million rounds of large-calibre artillery ammunition, air defence systems, missiles, including deep precision strikes, drones, and support to the regeneration of brigades. The latest draft of the document includes no set sum, although an earlier draft had earmarked €6 billion. The amount each member would have to contribute would be based on their current gross national income key. EU countries would also be allowed to choose whether to contribute "in kind" - by supplying the equipment- or in "cash". The proposal also plans for payments the bloc will make to Ukraine this year with the proceeds from immobilised Russian assets to be deducted from the final agreed package. The coming two tranches to be disbursed should tally around €880 million. "We need to discuss in details and take the time. The problem is that we don't have time," Kallas said. "And that's why I really push that on 6 March we are able to take decisions because it's important to send also the signal that we are able to do this. So I am positive, or optimistic I would say, regarding this," she added. The early March special summit was convened on Sunday evening by Antonio Costa, the president of the European Council, who said on X that "we are living a defining moment for Ukraine and European security". "In my consultations with European leaders, I've heard a shared commitment to meet those challenges at EU level: strengthening European Defence and contributing decisively to peace on our continent and long-term security of Ukraine." "I will continue to work together with (European Commission President Ursula) von der Leyen and all member states to be ready to take decision on 6 March," he added. Costa, von der Leyen, most of the European Commissioners, as well as multiple EU leaders were in Kyiv on Monday to emphasise EU support for the country as the war enters its fourth year. Von der Leyen unveiled a €3.5 billion package of EU financial assistance to inject additional liquidity into Ukraine's strained budget and facilitate, among other things, the purchase of military equipment from its domestic industry. The €3.5 billion is an advance on a larger €50-billion assistance fund that the European Union established in early 2024, dubbed "the Ukraine Facility". French President Emmanuel Macron will however mark the grim milestone in Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump. The Élysée said ahead of the meeting that Macron would bring "proposals for action" honed following several meetings last week in Paris between European leaders.
