§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to discuss suspension of the EU/Israeli trade agreement with his partners in the EU. [175041]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe Government do not believe that suspension of the EU/Israel Association Agreement would bring the parties any nearer to a peaceful resolution of their differences.
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of Israel's compliance with the human rights clauses in the EU/Israeli trade agreement. [175043]
§ Mr. MacShaneAlong with our EU partners, we have followed a policy of constructive engagement with Israel on humanitarian and human rights issues. We have raised our concerns on human rights violations both bilaterally, most recently with Prime Minister Sharon's advisers on 18 May, and through the institutions established by the EU/Israel Association Agreement. In this respect, at the last EU/Israel Association Council in November 2003, the EU called on Israel to abstain from any punitive measures that are not in accordance with international law.