Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the procedures for the review in general of the association agreement between Israel and the European Union and, in particular, compliance with its human rights clauses; the procedures which are in place for such a review; and the proposals in this regard. [6986/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The EU-Israel association agreement was signed on 20 November 1995. It entered into force on 1 June 2000. This agreement replaced an earlier EU-Israel co-operation agreement which dated from 1975.

The EU-Israel association agreement is a mixed competence agreement. This means that in addition to economic, trade and trade related matters, it also covers areas such as political dialogue and various matters which arise in the framework of justice and home affairs policy, all of which are within the competence of the individual EU member states. Ireland ratified the agreement on 15 May 1997.

As in the case of all the Euro-Mediterranean association agreements, the EU-Israel agreement covers a wide range of issues. In line with the current generation of association agreements between the EU and its Mediterranean partners, the preamble emphasises the importance of the principles of the United Nations charter, in particular the observance of human rights, democratic principles and economic freedom. Respect for human rights and democratic principles constitute an essential element of the agreement.

The agreement provides for political dialogue at ministerial and senior official level and at parliamentary level through contact between the European Parliament and the Knesset. It emphasises the need to promote peace, security and regional co-operation, the need to contribute to the stability and prosperity of the Mediterranean region and to promote understanding and tolerance. A joint declaration attached to the agreement stresses the importance which both parties attach to the struggle against xenophobia, anti-Semitism and racism.

To review its operation, the agreement provides for meetings of an association council at ministerial level and of an association committee at the level of senior officials. These meet regularly, in the normal course once a year, in order to examine and discuss issues arising from the operation of the agreement and any other issues of mutual interest.

The fifth meeting of the EU-Israel association council at ministerial level was held in Brussels on 13 December 2004. It consisted of a dinner attended by representatives of all EU member states at which political matters were discussed, and a formal meeting where economic, trade and trade-related matters were dealt with. A meeting of the association committee at senior official level was held in April 2005. Last year saw the establishment of ten EU-Israel sub-committees to assist the association council and association committee on technical matters. These sub-committees deal with political dialogue and co-operation, as well as economic and financial issues, customs matters and social and migration affairs. Human rights matters are discussed by the sub-committee on political dialogue and co-operation.

The sixth meeting of the EU-Israel meeting was scheduled to take place in Brussels on 12 December 2005, in the margins of a meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council. However, in light of political developments in Israel, the meeting was postponed until after elections to the Knesset to be held in March 2006.