Reacting to the EU’s decision to initiate a review of Israel’s compliance with its obligations under international law under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Eve Geddie the Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office said:
“While this is a welcome first step, it also comes devastatingly late. The extent of human suffering in Gaza for the past 19 months has been unimaginable. Israel is committing genocide in Gaza with chilling impunity.
“Emboldened by EU inaction – and even backed by some EU states- Israeli leaders have flaunted their genocidal aims. The EU’s unofficial policy of appeasement towards Israel is contrary to its member states’ obligations and will forever be judged in the annals of history.
“There is no time to lose, every delay costs human lives in Gaza. The EU and its member states must ban trade and investment that could contribute to the commission of genocide and other grave violations of international law.
“The EU must suspend all trade with Israeli settlements, while the member states that transfer arms to Israel must suspend such transfers. This is critical if EU member states are to meet their responsibility to prevent genocide and avoid complicity in it.
“The stakes are too high. If the EU fails to live up to these obligations as a bloc, and seeks to shield itself from its clear legal obligations, its member states must unilaterally suspend all forms of cooperation that may contribute to violations of international law. Amnesty International will now push for a meaningful review which takes evidence and international standards into account.”
Background to EU review
On 20 May 2025, the European Commission acting on the request supported by 17 member states agreed to conduct a long overdue review to determine whether Israel has violated its obligations under article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, namely the respect for human rights and democratic principles.
Amnesty International has long called for EU leaders to review the Association Agreement in line with EU member states’ obligations to prevent trade and investment that contributes to maintaining Israel’s unlawful occupation of the OPT, as set out by the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 and obligations not to render aid or assistance to the commission of crimes under international law.
Header image: European flags wave in front of the European Commission (EC) headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Photo by Michele Spatari/NurPhoto.
