Answer given by Vice-President Mogherini on behalf of the Commission

13.6.2017

While the EU institutions and bodies do not have access to the financial information and financial transactions between EU-based financial institutions and those based in Israel, the EU remains committed to ensure that, in line with international law, all agreements between the State of Israel and the EU must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967.

While this does not constitute in any way a boycott of Israel, which the EU strongly opposes, the EU considers that Israeli settlements in territories occupied by Israel since 1967 are illegal under international law, and thus constitute an obstacle to peace that threatens to make a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict impossible. The EU will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties, and will continue to distinguish between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967.

The EU considers that all companies (including European ones with interests in the occupied Palestinian territory) should in all circumstances implement the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights[1] as endorsed by consensus in the United Nations Human Rights Council.

EU Member States have the primary responsibility for raising awareness among European citizens and businesses of the Guiding Principles, and of the potential risks related to economic and financial activities in these illegal Israeli settlements.

• [1] http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf