European Commission to examine call to suspend EU-Israel agreement after 1.1 million signatures

The European Commission announced on Thursday that it will examine a European citizens’ initiative calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement over allegations of serious violations of human rights and international law.

The announcement came after the initiative collected more than 1.1 million verified signatures from citizens in 12 EU member states, exceeding the minimum threshold required for it to undergo an official review by EU institutions.

The initiative was launched under the European Citizens’ Initiative mechanism, which allows EU citizens to call on the Commission to propose legislative or policy action on issues within its remit, provided they collect at least one million signatures and meet the minimum signature threshold in at least seven member states.

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It called for the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which provides the legal framework governing trade, economic and political relations between the two sides and entered into force in 2000.

The organisers argue that the agreement includes provisions requiring respect for human rights and democratic principles, and that Israel’s continued violations against the Palestinian people warrant a review of the agreement and the privileges Israel receives under it.

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