John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On 8 September this year, the European Commission registered a European citizens' initiative that calls for an end to trade with illegal settlements in occupied territories such as Palestine and Western Sahara. This came after the organisers of the initiative won a law suit against the Commission, which had first rejected the initiative claiming a lack of competence. That rejection was annulled by the European Court of Justice. By agreeing to register the citizens' initiative, the Commission officially acknowledges that stopping trade with illegal settlements is an EU trade measure, not a sanction.

This decision is a significant legal step. After years of evading its own responsibility, the Commission officially recognised that it has the authority and, therefore, the duty to propose the adoption of import and export prohibitions towards illegal settlements. Will the Minister reassess his previous refusal to support measures such as the occupied territories Bill, given that his opposition has been shown to be based on a false narrative?

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