The European Commission has formally registered a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) calling for the suspension of the EU–Israel Association Agreement, citing alleged violations of human rights by Israel.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Commission said the initiative, titled “Demand the full suspension of the EU–Israel Association Agreement in view of Israel’s violations of human rights”, meets the formal requirements under the ECI Regulation. The registration follows a legal admissibility review confirming that the proposal falls within the Commission’s powers to propose legal acts.
At this stage, the registration does not imply endorsement of the initiative’s substance. “The Commission has not analysed the merits of the proposal,” the announcement said, emphasising that the registration merely allows the organisers to begin collecting signatures. A decision on the initiative’s outcome will be taken only if at least one million EU citizens support it within the prescribed timeframe.
Next steps
The organisers have six months to launch the 12-month signature-gathering period. To succeed, the initiative must collect a minimum of one million statements of support and meet country-specific thresholds in at least seven member states. If those conditions are met, the Commission will be required to respond publicly and decide whether to take legislative or policy action.
The European Citizens’ Initiative, established under the Lisbon Treaty and launched in 2012, is a participatory democracy tool allowing citizens to directly request new EU legislation. To be registered, a proposal must fall within the Commission’s legislative competence, not be manifestly abusive or contrary to EU values, and respect procedural rules.
Since its creation, 123 initiatives have been registered. Of these, only a handful have reached the one-million-signature mark required to trigger a formal response. The Commission notes that registration reflects only the organisers’ views and not those of EU institutions.
The EU–Israel Association Agreement, signed in 1995 and in force since 2000, underpins political dialogue, trade, and cooperation between the two sides. Calls to suspend it have intensified amid ongoing debates in Europe over Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank, with human rights groups arguing that the EU’s continued engagement contradicts its stated commitment to international law.
The registration of this initiative signals a growing public push for accountability mechanisms within the EU’s external relations, though the path from registration to policy change remains complex and uncertain.