France, in collaboration with Sweden, advocates for limiting trade linked to Jewish settlements located in the occupied Palestinian territories. The French Minister for Foreign Trade expressed optimism that the European Commission’s proposal on this issue will be forthcoming soon.
Applying restrictions on products produced in Israeli settlements within the occupied Palestinian territories is, according to French Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier, a matter of common sense, he told Euronews.
ADVERTISEMENT 
ADVERTISEMENT
Last month, France and Sweden jointly presented a proposal urging the European Union to raise trade tariffs and enforce tighter import regulations on goods originating from Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law.
«Together with our Swedish counterparts, we addressed the Commission emphasizing the urgency of establishing a unified European stance on this issue,» Forissier remarked during the Euronews interview series 12 Minutes With.
«We cannot permit the importation of products manufactured in territories that the international legal framework regards as illegally occupied.»
When advocating for the measure, Paris and Stockholm referenced the 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which affirms the unlawful nature of Israeli settlements. Furthermore, multiple United Nations resolutions dating back to the late 1970s affirm the illegality of settlement activities in the Palestinian territories.
«This stance is not confrontational. Legally and from a human rights perspective, it is appropriate to affirm this position. Consistency is essential,» Forissier explained.
Israel has recently enacted policies intended to reinforce its authority over the West Bank and East Jerusalem, affecting domains such as property laws, planning, and licensing, actions which seem to contravene critical provisions within the Oslo peace accord of 1993.
Following this, on Friday last week, leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and the Netherlands jointly called upon Israel to halt the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Israel disputes the illegality of these settlements, referring to historical and scriptural claims connected to the land.
The US stance has notably shifted during President Donald Trump’s administration — moving from opposing settlement growth to accepting it, although the president has openly criticized plans led by Israel’s ultra-nationalist factions to annex the West Bank.
Ban on products from settlements
Ireland’s Foreign Minister Helen McEntee declared on Tuesday that Dublin plans to enact legislation by mid-July restricting trade in goods linked to settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Earlier, the Dutch government announced efforts to implement a three-year trade embargo on Israeli products originating from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and Syrian Golan Heights.
The Netherlands has persistently pushed for a comprehensive European ban, a position supported by both Sweden and France, who argued that a complete import ban on settlement-derived products could be justified due to the «deteriorating situation.»
Minister Forissier suggested considering an approach that would be «more proactive and stringent» than merely imposing trade restrictions.
However, there is broad resistance among EU member states to such measures. Raising tariffs demands a qualified majority, while a full ban requires unanimous approval—making the adoption of such policies improbable.
«Nonetheless, Europe needs to present a united front, supported by the European Commission’s forthcoming proposal,» Forissier stated.
Regarding whether the Commission has delayed action, he responded that it has been «very attentive to our positions and that he is confident a proposal will be presented soon.»
Euronews queried the European Commission about the status and content of a potential proposal but did not receive a response before publication.
The EU’s overarching trade agreement with Israel — the EU–Israel Association Agreement — reduces tariffs on Israeli goods.
However, products derived from the occupied regions (such as the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights) are excluded from these benefits and instead face standard, non-preferential tariff rates.
Countries including Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia have repeatedly urged the EU to suspend the entire association agreement with Israel due to alleged war crimes in Lebanon and Palestine. Yet, the latest effort to end preferential trade failed to secure the necessary backing.
Following this vote, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas indicated that further discussions would be held regarding the French-Swedish proposal.
Earlier this month, the EU agreed to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers for violent acts against Palestinians in the West Bank, a move considered by critics as a limited step compared to severing economic ties entirely.