EU officially launches review of cooperation with Israel

Anwar Al-Awni, the senior spokesperson for the European Commission, announced during a daily press briefing in Brussels on Thursday: “The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs has started the review process, and the Commission’s specialized services, in collaboration with the European External Action Service, have been tasked with carrying out this review.”

He added that the focus at this stage is on assessing Israel’s adherence to the commitments outlined in the agreement, particularly in the areas of human rights and the fundamental principles of partnership.

The EU-Israel Association Agreement, in effect since 2000, forms the primary framework for political, economic, and cultural cooperation between the two parties. However, Article 2 of the agreement emphasizes that its full implementation is contingent on both parties’ adherence to democratic principles and human rights—a clause that has now become the central focus of the review due to Tel Aviv’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

In recent months, several EU member states, including Ireland, Spain, Belgium, and Slovenia, have called for an immediate suspension or review of the agreement. At the recent EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, the Netherlands formally requested the activation of the review mechanism for Article 2, a request that received broad support from diplomats.