Ireland calls for EU-wide ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements

Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee on Friday called for an EU-wide ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements, saying the bloc must send a “strong signal” that such actions are "unacceptable."

“Today at the Trade Foreign Affairs Council, I’m calling for an EU-level ban on trade with illegal settlements. We must send a strong signal that this behaviour is unacceptable and must stop,” McEntee said on US social media company X.

Speaking ahead of the EU Trade Foreign Affairs Council meeting, McEntee also said ministers would discuss European security, the situation in the Middle East, and its impact on the bloc’s economic security.

“As always, a lot on the agenda,” she said, adding that discussions would focus in particular on “overall European security, particularly in the context of the ongoing situation in the Middle East and the impact on our overall economic security.”

McEntee also said ministers would discuss the need for further reform at the World Trade Organization, which Ireland plans to prioritize during its upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union.

“We’ll of course discuss the need for further reform in the WTO and this is something that we will continue to prioritise during our own presidency, which we will take on in the coming weeks,” she said.

The Irish minister also welcomed recent progress related to the implementation of the EU-US trade statement following a trilogue agreement reached last week.

“It’s a really positive movement towards the implementation of the EU-US statement,” she said.