Brussels: Sweden is advocating for the European Union to implement stricter measures against products coming from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, as stated by Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Benjamin Dousa, on Friday.

According to Anadolu Agency, Dousa spoke at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Trade, highlighting a joint initiative between Sweden and France that has already altered discussions within the EU. Dousa remarked on the growing support for this initiative, noting that an increasing number of countries are expressing their dissatisfaction with the current situation.

In response to inquiries about a widely circulated video involving Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and its potential impact on EU trade discussions, Dousa emphasized Sweden's role in advancing sanctions against occupiers and illegal settler organizations. He called for stronger economic measures as a necessary step forward.

Dousa asserted that products originating from the occupied Palestinian territories should not benefit from favorable trade conditions within the EU market. He argued that goods from occupied lands, where local land has been appropriated, should not enter the EU with minimal tariffs.

Proposals under consideration, according to Dousa, include the introduction of export licensing requirements and the imposition of significantly higher tariffs on products from these settlements. The objective is to curb the influx of such products into the EU market, ensuring that goods from illegally occupied territories do not benefit from preferential treatment.

Dousa also noted the growing support for the initiative among EU member states, including the Netherlands, and underscored the importance of maintaining focus on the issues in the West Bank amidst global attention on other conflicts and humanitarian crises.