Belgium’s federal government approved a ban on importing goods produced in Israeli settlements located in the occupied Palestinian territories, marking a significant step as EU foreign ministers remain deadlocked over implementing a bloc-wide ban on illegal settlement trade.

The decision was announced at Belgium’s final cabinet meeting before the summer break, according to the Belgian News Agency (Belga).

Earlier in the week, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot urged EU counterparts during a closed-door meeting in Brussels to adopt a comprehensive ban across the European Union. He criticized the European Commission for presenting ministers with what he described as “a bone to chew on” rather than a substantive plan to act.

This move follows Ireland’s parliament passing a similar prohibition on July 15, just days before Belgium’s announcement. The push for tighter controls gained momentum this year after an investigation by the Global Echo Litigation Center, which reviewed over 30,000 export documents related to thousands of Israeli agricultural shipments to Europe.

The ban by Belgium adds to a growing number of European countries taking unilateral action on the issue, which remains unresolved at the EU level.

Sources