European Union

In reaction to the recent announcement that the EU will review the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s Policy lead in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Gaza: “Let’s be clear: it is a welcome step, but far too little and too late. For months upon months, the people of Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering. Entire families erased. Homes, hospitals and schools reduced to rubble.

International development cooperation has consistently been an integral component of the European Union's foreign policy. Like diplomacy, development cooperation is a means to foster stability, security and prosperity for all in an increasingly interconnected world. The COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis and the ripple effects of Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine have underscored our global interdependence and the imperative for international collaboration, investment, and partnerships that promote equitable development globally while safeguarding the long-term interests of the EU and its citizens. 

Ahead of the special European Council meeting that you scheduled for 6 March, we write to urge you to resist a dangerous and false dichotomy: the idea that increasing defence spending must come at the expense of international development assistance (ODA). Cutting aid would be both a moral failure and a strategic mistake. At a time of growing instability, hunger, and global crises, when conflict, climate disasters and inequality are worsening, Europe must reaffirm its commitment to multilateralism and solidarity, and show global leadership. We know the only way to meet the daunting challenges of our time is together.  

The EU Commission presented its plans for the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive as part of the omnibus legislation.

As EU and Israeli officials meet today behind closed doors to discuss their bilateral relationship, Agnès Bertrand-Sanz, Oxfam humanitarian expert, said: “The EU includes human rights clauses in its bilateral deals for a reason, yet with Israel, these clauses seem optional. By having this meeting, the EU is signalling that it is business as usual”. 

Today, European finance ministers updated the EU tax haven list. They added Brunei Darussalam and removed Costa Rica and Curaçao from the greylist. There were no changes to the blacklist. 

In a letter published ahead of the European Union (EU)-Israel Association Council, a coalition of civil society and human rights organisations publish a clear case for the EU to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement in the face of Israel’s breaches of international law and call on the European Commission to draft a proposal accordingly. The forthcoming EU-Israel Association Council must address Israel’s violation of Article 2 and act decisively to uphold its commitment to human rights and international law. 

Today, Oxfam publishes “Takers Not Makers” as business elites gather in the Swiss resort town of Davos and, billionaire Donald Trump backed by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is inaugurated as President of the United States. The report shows that globally, billionaire wealth grew by $2 trillion in 2024 alone, at a rate three times faster than the previous year.