Ireland seeks way to restrict trade with occupied Palestinian territories

Ireland's government is seeking to introduce a bill restricting trade with the occupied Palestinian territories after it said a UN court decision freed Dublin to make trade decisions independently of the European Union.

The Occupied Territories Bill was first tabled in 2018 by an independent lawmaker and despite receiving broad support in Ireland's parliament, the government said it could not bring it forward because the European Union, not member nations, is responsible for the bloc's trade policy.

However, Foreign Minister Michael Martin said on Tuesday that an advisory opinion by the United Nations' highest court in July that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal had changed the context of how the government might move forward on the issue.

"Trade is an exclusive EU competence and so the government's focus has been on achieving action at the EU level," Martin said in a statement.

"The Attorney General has clarified that if this is not possible, there are grounds in EU law allowing states to take action at a national level. It is in that context that the government will now look again at the Occupied Territories Bill."

He said the bill will be reviewed and amendments prepared in order to bring it into line with EU law and Ireland's constitution, adding that a range of complex policy and legal issues remained to be resolved.

Ireland is due to hold an election within weeks. The coalition Martin is a member of is favoured to win, although all major opposition parties have long favoured introducing a ban on trade with the occupied Palestinian territories.

In May, Ireland officially recognised a Palestinian state and said it would establish diplomatic relations, angering Israel. 

(Reuters)