The Brussels City Council unanimously passed a motion on Monday evening to block public procurement of products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, with the MR and N-VA parties abstaining.
The city's First Alderman Benoît Hellings (Ecolo) maintained that following checks at the City’s Purchasing Centre and Brussels Catering, no stored products currently originate from any such areas.
The PTB party, which backed the majority motion, had proposed a motion to sever both economic and political ties until Israel "complies with international law."
The council presented a more city-focused text, concerning its public procurement which incurs around €70 million in annual expenses for the capital’s central municipality.
The motion requests the mayor and alderman to ensure future public contracts do not benefit firms that don’t respect international, human, environmental, social and labour rights. According to Hellings, this could pertain to other parts of the world as well.
The motion also explicitly asks that potential bidders be allowed to present evidence demonstrating their adherence to these standards.
