European Commission: Review of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Israel
On May 20, 2025, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, announced the initiation of a review of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. This review, formally requested by the Netherlands and supported by 17 other EU member states, aimed to assess Israel’s compliance with human rights and democratic principles, essential elements of the agreement. The decision for the review was made in response to concerns regarding the blockade of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip and the newly proposed system for aid distribution.
On June 23, 2025, the European Commission presented the results of the review to EU Foreign Ministers, reporting evidence that Israel is violating its human rights obligations. However, as reported by Amnesty International, the review did not propose any concrete measures that the EU should take in response to these violations. Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, harshly criticized the EU’s approach, calling the delay in initiating the review “unforgivable” and the lack of proposed concrete actions “disturbing”. Amnesty International argues that the EU and its member states have an obligation to prohibit trade and investments that could contribute to Israel's serious violations of international law, including what the organization defines as the "crime against humanity of apartheid" against Palestinians.
This development is part of a context of increasing international pressure on Israel. Indeed, as explained in the briefing document prepared for Members and staff of the European Parliament, which serves as background material to assist their parliamentary work, it had been established that if the review were to find a violation of Article 2 by Israel, the next step would likely be the opening of consultations, as provided for in Article 79 of the agreement. Subsequently, in case of failure to resolve the issue, the EU could adopt “appropriate measures”, including partial or total suspension of the agreement. However, the unanimity required for such decisions in the EU Council could make it difficult to adopt drastic measures, although the EU might consider limiting or suspending cooperation only on specific issues, for example by suspending political dialogue with Israel.
The European Parliament document can be consulted at the following link: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2025/772892/EPRS_ATA(2025)772892_EN.pdf