Photo by Issam Rimawi/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Belgian federal government approved a set of new measures on Saturday ahead of the summer recess, including an import ban on goods from illegally occupied Palestinian territories.
The measure was originally put forward late last summer in response to Israel’s intensive military campaign in Gaza but has long been stuck in a political deadlock, News.Az reports, citing Euractiv.
From Friday through Saturday morning, however, the cabinet approved some 88 files, including a reform that changes the calculation of working hours from a yearly to a weekly basis, as well as the trade measures.
According to Belgian media, such as Le Soir, further details about the terms of the import ban, including a potential ‘sunset clause’ and which goods or sectors would be included, are still unknown.
The move comes as a coalition of EU governments are demanding sanctions on Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The EU executive recently circulated a document to its capitals, first reported by Euractiv, floating different options, including an import licensing system for settlement goods, tariffs, and a total ban.
France, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain were among the countries in favour of a total import ban, while Germany and Italy were against it. The move, if deemed a foreign policy rather than a trade decision, would need unanimous backing.
Earlier in the week, Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot slammed the EU and other governments for dragging their feet on stricter measures.
“The Commission has now finally put some options on the table, spanning two pages. This gives the impression that it is more of a token gesture than a genuine intention to make progress,” he told reporters on Monday.