Written answers
Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Middle East
Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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149. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on the status of the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 in light of the Israeli government recently authorising nine illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank; his plans to progress this Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14277/23]
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Occupied Territories Bill would not be compatible with EU law, and would not be implementable. This is the clear legal advice on this matter. The Government will therefore not be taking it forward.
We have, however, supported legal avenues to differentiate between settlements and Israel, for example by joining a case before the European Courts in 2019 on labelling of certain goods produced in settlements.
Ireland has consistently and strongly opposed illegal settlements, and this Government will continue to do so.
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