'No backtracking' on proposals, governments warn the European Commission
EU governments have rallied to the defence of Kaja Kallas to back her demand earlier this week that the European Commission prepares new measures to prevent trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
Ursula von der Leyen and her College of Commissioners have repeatedly and firmly rebuffed the calls by Kallas – who is both the EU’s foreign affairs chief and a Commission vice-president – for new restrictive trade measures.
Kallas repeated the demand, first made last month, after a majority of ministers at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday instructed the Commission to prepare “a list of options for possible trade measures aimed at preventing imports of goods originating from illegal settlements”.
On Tuesday, the Commission rejected her request angering national foreign ministries.
