EU to review petition to suspend Israel agreement

BRUSSELS

The European Commission will examine a citizens’ initiative calling for the full suspension of the EU–Israel Association Agreement after it secured more than 1.1 million verified signatures.

The initiative, submitted on Nov. 12, cites Israeli human rights violations as grounds for suspension.

It gathered 1,117,104 valid signatures and met national thresholds in 12 member states, the Commission said.

The Commission must respond by May 12, 2027, setting out what action, if any, it intends to take and explaining its decision.

Commission officials will meet the organizers in the coming weeks, followed by a public hearing at the European Parliament.

Under the European Citizens’ Initiative mechanism, a proposal must collect at least 1 million valid signatures and meet minimum thresholds in at least seven member states to trigger formal examination.

The Commission must respond but is not obliged to endorse the demand.

The Commission had already proposed suspending trade concessions under the agreement in September 2025.

A full suspension would require unanimous approval from EU member states.