EU ”takes note” while the world burns
At a one-day summit in Brussels last week, EU leaders were presented with an uncomfortable truth: their own diplomatic service believes Israel is violating international law in Gaza – and no one is prepared to act.
The EU's External Action Service (EEAS) found ”indications” that Israel breached the human rights clause of its Association Agreement with the EU – a deal that grants Israel access to EU markets and political perks. The review cited attacks on hospitals, forced displacement of civilians, and blocking humanitarian aid.
Still, the only official outcome by the leaders who gathered in Brussels was to ”take note” and invite foreign ministers to revisit the issue in July. Some member states – like Spain and Ireland – want to suspend or revise the agreement. Others, notably Germany and Hungary, resist any move that might upset Israel. In the absence of consensus, action is postponed. The EU remains Israel's largest trade partner.
The timing could not be more telling. The summit came just as the US brokered a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran, and over 56,000 have perished in Gaza, with many more feared dead. Yet Europe, even in the face of its own legal findings, is still sidestepping the implications.
On Ukraine, EU leaders reaffirmed support, but Hungary still blocks Kyiv's EU accession and funding. Yet another sanctions package on Russia (the 18th!) is set to pass, minus a proposed oil price cap cut. The Commission is also drafting a plan to fully phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027.
Concerning Trump's tariffs, EU leaders must soon decide if they will strike a trade deal with the US, or escalate the dispute and risk a transatlantic trade war. Commission president van der Leyen said the EU is ready for a deal but ”all options remain on the table”.
Trump has set a 9 July deadline and threatened to impose 50% tariffs on nearly all EU imports if no agreement is reached. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, attending his first EU summit, strongly backed a fast-track agreement with Washington, calling the coming weeks ”crucial” for Europe. Germany is the EU's biggest exporter.
This summit was classic EU: full of vague diplomatic phrasing, but very little actual agreement. The bloc presented itself as a fractured entity, struggling to speak with one voice on major crises, with deep divisions between member states laid bare.
As revolting as it is that EU leaders are still only ”taking note,” the summit was consequential – not because of bold decisions, but because of what it showed. The disconnect between the EU's rhetoric and its actions is hard to ignore. If this Union defines itself by its commitment to the rule of law and human rights, this summit raises an uncomfortable question: What remains of that identity when those values become optional?