On Wednesday, the European Commission released a statement proposing strict measures against the Israeli regime, which it presented to the European Union.
Under this proposal, imports from Israel would no longer enjoy preferential tariffs and would instead be subject to standard duties, similar to those of countries that do not have a free trade agreement with the European Union.
The European Commission stated that this decision was made after a review identified violations of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which emphasizes the importance of respecting human rights and democratic principles as fundamental pillars of the agreement.
The European Commission has proposed suspending bilateral financial assistance to the Israeli regime from 2025 to 2027. This suspension includes approximately €6 million in annual aid, along with institutional projects and regional cooperation initiatives estimated to be worth around €14 million.
The new sanctions package consists of four legal documents and designates nine cabinet ministers and one extremist settler under the “EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.”
These measures will become binding once approved by the Council of the European Union. The suspension of trade preferences will take effect 30 days after the EU-Israel Association Council is officially notified.
IRNA