Brussels, 02/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - In their 2014 annual report on the Middle East situation (EU HoMs report on Jerusalem - 2014) published by British newspaper The Guardian on 25 March, the heads of EU missions there call on the EU and its member states to do more for the Middle East.
According to website Mediapart, which has had access to the document, the 40 recommendations of the EU focus on four priorities - preserving the viability of Jerusalem as the future capital of the two states; consolidating the city's religious and cultural identity; putting an end to Jerusalem's socio-economic isolation; and strengthening the EU's role, visibility and policy.
According to The Guardian, the EU missions recommend additional coordinated steps from all the member states in order to ensure that European consumers can “exercise their right to informed choice in respect of settlement products” - in other words, to purchase or reject the purchase of these products, in line with the EU's rules of origin and labelling. The EU and its member states are also expected to make further efforts for European citizens and companies on the risks linked to financial and economic activities in the settlements, including financial transactions, investments, acquisitions, procurement and services. There could also be voluntary guidelines to prevent tourism operators from supporting the activities of settlements in East Jerusalem.
The EU missions also advocate new measures against “known violent settlers and those calling for acts of violence as regards immigration regulations in EU member states”, which could mean a visa ban.
The document highlights that 2014 was one of the most troubled years in Jerusalem since the end of the second Intifada. While they are not new, “the tensions, mistrust and violence which have accompanied developments in the city in the course of the year have reached extremely high levels”, the heads of mission state. In particular, they highlight the systematic increase in settlement activity in East Jerusalem, the tension on the Haram al-Sharif, and rising levels of tensions and acts of violence on both sides, which are undermining the two-state solution. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)