Mr. Gerard Keown:

In February last year, Ireland and Spain wrote to the Commission and the High Representative to ask for a review of Israel's compliance with its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement. Article 2 sets out the human rights obligations of Israel as a partner of the European Union and there is a similar clause in other agreements between the EU and third countries. That letter asked for a review based on what Ireland and Spain were observing of what was happening in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. The Government consistently called for that review to take place. At the May meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, there was a discussion of whether a review should take place. A majority of member states expressed the view that such a review should take place, so the Higher Representative said she would undertake it.

That review was presented by the High Representative at the meeting on 23 June. The finding of the review, which has been reported in the media, was that Israel was in breach of its human rights obligations under the agreement. At the Council meeting, Ireland and a number of other member states made clear, and the Tánaiste said at the meeting, that the finding and outcome of the review was significant and it was important that there would then be discussion of what appropriate measures would be taken in response. The High Representative has said publicly that she will communicate the outcome of the review to Israel. She has asked the Commission and the European External Action Service, EEAS, to prepare options for possible appropriate measures. It is intended that there will be a discussion of that at the next meeting of the Council. The Taoiseach and Tánaiste were clear, going into the review and after its results became known, about the importance of appropriate measures and follow-up action taken by the EU and its member states in response.