Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1174. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will express opposition to the EU Preferential Trade Agreement with Israel until it ends the attacks on the Palestinian people. [33149/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The position in relation to the EU-Israel Association Agreement has been set out in the Oireachtas by successive Ministers for Foreign Affairs. The Association Agreement with Israel, and the trade terms which are a part of that, are similar to agreements between the EU and most of its immediate neighbours in the Mediterranean and with some countries further afield. We have concerns about human rights issues in several of these countries. In other regions, the EU seeks similar arrangements thought Partnership and Cooperation Agreements, or even full Free Trade Agreements. In other words, the ‘preferential’ trade terms referred to by the Deputy are the norm towards which the EU works in its international relations generally, and are not in Israel’s case any special departure from that norm.

Ireland, and the EU as a whole, have made and will continue to make strong criticisms of Israeli policies in relation to the Palestinian people. This has previously included freezing a planned enhancement of political relations, which remains the case.

However, no Irish Government has considered it advisable to advocate the end of the Association Agreement with Israel and there would be no possibility whatever of securing the necessary agreement at EU level for such a step.

Goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian Territory are excluded from the lower tariff rates applying to goods from Israel (and many other countries), and Ireland has been instrumental in a number of recent EU actions in underlining the clear distinction between relations with Israel itself, and the Israeli settlements to which we are strongly opposed.