The European Commission will examine the Association Agreement between the European Union and ‘Israel’ after more than 1.1 million EU citizens signed a petition calling for a review.
Citing a statement from the Commission, Politco reported that officials will meet the petition’s organizers in the coming weeks to discuss the initiative in detail, after which the European Parliament will hold a public hearing. The Commission is expected to issue a formal response by May 2027 on whether it intends to take any action.
The EU-Israel Association Agreement, signed in 1995 and in force since 2000, is the main legal and political framework governing relations between the two sides. It provides for a free-trade area and reduces or removes tariffs for Israeli exporters and European importers, particularly in industry and agriculture.
The European Commission will examine its association agreement with Israel after more than 1.1 million EU citizens signed a petition asking it to do so. The number of signatures shows how prominent the issue of EU-Israel relations is among the public. https://t.co/9qiKcUmulD
— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) November 12, 2026
The agreement also established the EU-Israel Association Council, a formal dialogue mechanism in which Israeli foreign minister and the EU representative holding the relevant rotating role meet to discuss bilateral relations. The European Union is the Zionist entity’s largest trading partner and accounted for about one-third of its total trade in goods with the world in 2025, according to EU figures.
The wars in Gaza and Lebanon have intensified criticism of ‘Israel’ across Europe and deepened divisions among European leaders over relations with Jerusalem.
The petition was submitted through the European Citizens’ Initiative, or ECI, a mechanism requiring the Commission to formally consider proposals backed by at least 1 million citizens from more than seven member states.
According to Politico, 136 initiatives have been registered since the mechanism was created more than a decade ago, and only 14 have crossed the 1 million-signature threshold.
France provided the largest number of signatures, with 339,479, followed by Italy with 283,863 and Spain with 151,821.
More than 1.1 million Europeans have signed a petition demanding the EU suspend its association agreement with Israel over its genocide in Gaza, forcing the European Commission to examine the deal. https://t.co/HjbBltJksI
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) November 12, 2026
The initiative was organized by the European Left Alliance, an umbrella group representing 11 left-wing parties, which began collecting signatures roughly two years ago. Its organizers are calling on the EU to suspend trade and political dialogue with ‘Israel’, arguing that “Israel failed to prevent genocide in the Gaza Strip.”
Politico noted that the review is not expected to result in an immediate change in the current arrangement, but the number of signatures reflects the prominence of Israel-EU relations in European public opinion and obligates the Commission to issue a formal response.
Source: Politico (edited by Al-Manar)