Ireland and 9 EU States Urge Ban on Trade with Illegal Settlements

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence Helen McEntee has called on the European Commission to propose a ban on trade with illegal settlements in occupied territories. Ireland, along with nine other EU member states, made this call at the Foreign Affairs Council on Trade in Brussels, where economic security was discussed.

McEntee stated that Europe cannot uphold a rules-based international order while allowing trade with illegal settlements, which breach international law. She emphasized that Europe's trade policy must align with its legal and moral obligations. McEntee also criticized the Israeli government's actions against Irish citizens on the Global Sumud Flotilla, noting that 14 Irish citizens detained by Israel had arrived safely in Istanbul.

Separately, opposition parties in Ireland continue to push for services to be included in the Government's Occupied Territories Bill. Taoiseach Micheál Martin previously deemed including services as not «implementable or viable.» Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald called Martin's comments «unacceptable and counterproductive,» arguing that nearly 70% of trade between Ireland and the occupied territories is in services, and excluding them would blunt the sanction. Social Democrats Spokesperson Senator Patricia Stephenson also urged the government not to introduce a «half-measure,» citing the 2014 ban on goods and services with Crimea as a precedent.