By Melike Pala
BRUSSELS (AA) - Nine EU members have called on the European Commission to assess how trade in goods and services linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory can be aligned with international law, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot announced on Thursday.
Prevot said on X that the request follows the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) recent advisory opinion, which underlined that third countries must refrain from trade or investment activities that support illegal settlements.
"Belgium, together with eight other EU Member States - Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden - asks the European Commission to examine how trade in goods and services linked to illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory can be brought into line with international law," he wrote.
The Belgian premier emphasized that "upholding international law is a shared responsibility," and that "in a rules-based international order, legal clarity must guide political choices."
"A united European approach can help ensure that our policies reflect our values," he added.