French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot at the G7 meeting in France on 27 March
French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot at the G7 meeting in France on 27 March (Source: France Diplomatie)

EU and the World

France joins EU sanctions pressure on Israel

By Andrew Rettman,

France and Sweden have joined five other EU states seeking sanctions on Israel, with a proposed ban on settler products.

“We take note of [a European Commission assessment of 19 June 2025] … stating that the EU is not [legally] obliged to impose an import ban on [Israeli] settlement products,” said France and Sweden in an informal, one-page proposal seen by EUobserver on Monday (20 April).

“However, we believe that the ever and fast deteriorating situation calls for such action,” they added.

“Regardless of being in clear violation of international law, settlements and settler violence are increasing at a record pace,” the Franco-Swedish paper said.

“We believe that the EU urgently needs to increase pressure on Israel to halt its settlement policy and practices,” it added.

To read this story, log in or subscribe

Enjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a subscriber for as low as €1,75 per week.

Read without limits
French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot at the G7 meeting in France on 27 March (Source: France Diplomatie)

Topics

Author Bio

Andrew Rettman Andrew Rettman is EUobserver’s foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.