Within the European Union, France, Sweden, and five other countries called for the implementation of European sanctions against Israel. These demands came to the fore ahead of the EU foreign ministers' meeting to be held in Luxembourg on April 21. The proposed sanctions include a ban on products from Israeli settlement areas in the European market. The EU Council has been struggling to decide on economic sanctions against Israel for the past two years and has not yet been able to establish a common position. These developments are considered an important step for the EU's Israel policy and tensions in the region.