There is strong legal evidence that the European Union and the Member States, together and individually, have the obligation under international law not to trade with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as these settlements are illegal and breach the highest norms of international law.

A legal analysis underlying this fact has been published in a peer-reviewed journal and was also submitted in an open letter to the European institutions in 2015. This letter was signed by more than 40 legal scholars and several judges. Nonetheless, the European Union continues today to accept trade with Israeli settlements, and, as such, violates its obligation under international law.

In a previous parliamentary question on this subject, the answer provided by the Commission was that the current policy reflects ‘the Commission's understanding of relevant EU legislation', but that the Court of Justice has the ultimate power of interpretation.

Will the Commission formally request that the Court of Justice of the European Union rule on whether trading with the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is legal under international and EC law?