Brussels – Europe and the Arabs
Organizers of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI)—titled "Call for the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in light of Israel’s human rights violations"—submitted their initiative to the European Commission today. Since its registration in November 2025, the initiative has garnered 1,117,104 verified statements of support from EU citizens, meeting the required thresholds in 12 member states. It thus becomes the fifteenth successful initiative to be considered by the Commission. A European statement, circulated in Brussels on Thursday, noted that under the regulation governing the European Citizens’ Initiative, once the Commission receives an initiative that meets the necessary criteria—supported by at least one million verified statements of support—it must initiate an examination process and provide a response within six months.
The organizers are calling on the Commission to submit a proposal to the European Council advocating for the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
The Commission has until May 12, 2027, to issue its formal response, outlining any actions it intends to take—if any—and the reasoning behind its position. In the coming weeks, the Commission will also hold a meeting with the organizers to discuss the initiative in detail, which will be followed by a public hearing hosted by the European Parliament