Draft Occupied Territories Bill is published
The Government has published a draft bill that would ban imports of goods originating in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The bill says that the legislation will provide for compliance by the State with its international legal obligations, as identified by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its advisory opinion of 19 July 2024.
Under the General Scheme of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025, such goods will be deemed to be goods subject to a prohibition or restriction of importation for the purposes of the Customs Act 2015.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said that there had yet to be "an adequate response" at EU level to the ICJ opinion, adding that he would continue to press the issue.
“However, pending an appropriate response at EU level, the Government committed to advancing our own legislation on the matter, and we have made a significant step forward now," he stated.
AG’s advice
Asked in the Dáil yesterday (24 June) about the exclusion of services from the bill, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that the Tánaiste Simon Harris had asked the Attorney General (AG) for legal advice on the issue.
“Obviously, there is a clear difference between services and goods in terms of tracking, tracing, and manageability,” he stated.
Asked by Deputy Paul Murphy when the AG’s advice would be available, the Taoiseach said that he anticipated that it would be available to the Government “as the bill is going through”.
He added that the Government would make its position, based on that advice, clear to the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade before it concluded pre-legislative scrutiny of the bill.