Under the slogan ‘What is good for Europe is good for Israel’, Nir Barkat presented in the European Parliament a groundbreaking policy shift which is intended to simplify the import process from Europe, reduce administrative barriers and create new market opportunities.
Israeli Minister of Economy and Trade, Nir Barkat, presented Tuesday in the European Parliament in Brussels Israel’s new Import Reform aimed at strengthening Israel-Europe trade through alignment with EU technical regulation.
Under the slogan ‘What is good for Europe is good for Israel’, the minister emphasized that the groundbreaking policy shift is intended to simplify the import process from Europe, reduce administrative barriers and create new market opportunities.
He addressed members of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Israel during a visit in Brussels where he also met with European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic and explained how he sees the collaboration between Israel and the European Union.
Israel, he said, aims to foster greater competition, increase product diversity and thus lower the cost of living for Israeli consumers. In turn, European and other exporters aligned with the EU regulations can gain a more direct and efficient access to Israel’s dynamic market.
The reform touches on four critical sectors : standardization, food, cosmetics and energy labeling.
‘’We value very much our relations with the EU,’’ he said as he reminded that the EU remains Israel’s main trade partner.
“We can learn a lot from Israel, in terms of innovation and defense,’’ said German MEP Hildegarde Bentele, the new Chair of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Israel, who hosted the meeting with the minister.
Minister Barkat also addressed with the MEPS the Iranian threat and Gaza, speaking of the urgent need to have all the hostages return home and to make that Gaza doesn’t poses a terrorist threat for Israel anymore and that Hamas be eliminated.’’ 59 hostages are still held captives in Gaz, 24 of them are believed to be still alive.
He said: ”The Iranian jihadi regime that wants to eliminate Israel is on the path to develop a nuclear bomb. We believe them when they say they want to use it and destroy Israel. All seven fronts against Israel are all led by Iran. It used missiles directly to target Israel. A jihadi regime that is not only targeting Israel but is also a threat to the whole world. The moderate Arab states are deeply concerned about Iran in the region.
Iran has a figerprint all over the attack of October 7. They admitted it, the planning, the funding together with Qatar.”
”The cruelty of the attack we have not seen since the Nazis in the Holocaust, raping women, beheading, playing soccer with soldiers’ heads, burning people alive. They shared this on social media. They were prooud of what they did.”
”We are determined to secure all of our borders, in Lebanon, Syria, Jordanand to go after all the terrorists in Judea and Samaria,” the minister said.
‘’Israel’s DNA is to strives for peace. We had peace with Egyp and Jordan. Since four years we have the Abraham Accords. We want to expand these accords with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and additional Arab states,’’ he said.
”Israel demonstrated that whenever one of our neighbors wants to have peace with us we will find a way to do it. We did it before, we will do it again. Israzel is waiting for partners to come up to the table and to join the Abraham Accords.,” he added.
The minister believes that ”some Palestinian leaders in the West Bank, who are tired with the situation, may join the Abraham Accords.”
‘’Palestinians should decide : do they want the West Bank to become Dubai or another Gaza?,’’ he added, suggesting a tribes federation for the West Bank on the model of the United Arab Emirates.
Barkat’s visit, which followed last week’s meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council in the presence of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, is another sign of the improving standing of Israel within the EU.