In this news:
The vice-president of the European Commission has said the bloc “trusts” the Irish Government to investigate claims that a Limerick aluminium plant is exporting materials to Russia.
Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, met Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee on Tuesday, and they discussed claims that Aughinish Alumina is exporting materials that are ending up in Russian weapons used in Ukraine.
“No European products should end up in bombs and missiles that kill Ukrainians,” Ms Kallas said.
She said the EU has to be “creative” in coming up with its next package of sanctions, and “our aim is that this war will end, and it will also end if you know the aggressor runs out of either money or material to continue”.
“The investigations are ongoing, and for us, it’s important that we get the facts straight. Now we are trusting the Irish Government to do these investigations.”
Ms Kallas said that during the meeting, which also covered Ireland’s priorities for its upcoming EU presidency, they discussed reports, first published in the Irish Times, alleging that sanctioned Russian defence companies may be benefitting from “significant volumes of Irish aluminium imports”.
She added that while alumina is not currently sanctioned by the EU and was not included in the latest round of sanctions revealed on Tuesday, the EU needed to “close all loopholes” concerning Russian assets.
“Europe must tighten sanctions enforcement, and ensure our commitments are backed by deeds,” Ms Kallas said.
Aughinish Alumina was contacted for comment, but previously insisted it complies with “all applicable European Union laws, including sanctions, export control measures and trade regulations”.
Asked why trade in alumina material is not included in the EU’s sanctions against Russia, Ms Kallas said: “We have a huge list of companies included, also crypto that we haven’t had in that amount before, oil refineries and all.”
Ms Kallas, was the first female prime minister of Estonia, a country that has been consistently calling for a ban on alumina exports to Russia.
“It is always the question, what more can we do, and I think this case shows that we should also look into this, that the material that Russia needs to continue with its war, whether it’s different types of metals, whether it’s the oil refinery products that they need, we need to look at,” she said.
Speaking after the meeting, Ms McEntee said that once the investigation being carried out by the Department of Enterprise is complete, the Government will share the information with the European Commission.
She added that since the invasion of Ukraine, there has been a surge in hybrid attacks and sabotage, including against critical infrastructure such as undersea cables.
Both the Taoiseach and Minister McEntee have said there has been a change of attitudes at EU level around taking actions on Israel in recent months.
When asked about whether this was the reality in the EU Ms Kallas said “there is certainly a change of attitude, the question is whether it’s enough.”
“For the sanctions for example, we need all the countries to agree. We don’t have that when it comes to the trade issues. We need qualified majority,” she said.
“We don’t have that either at the moment, so clearly there are countries who are moving, and we see also public opinion that is increasingly critical in member states that haven’t been so critical before.
“As we are all democracies, governments also depend on their public opinion, so yes, clearly we see shifts, but the question is whether it’s enough to move forward.”
Minister McEntee said that since she took over as Minister for Foreign Affairs attending meeting of EU foreign ministers since November, she has seen a “significant shift” in the response from other member states.
“At the last meeting there was unanimity and full support to impose sanctions on violent settlers in the West Bank. There was unanimity to support sanctions on those responsible for the October 7th attacks. So that is a significant shift,” she said.
Minister McEntee said she is pushing for the EU Commission to propose a ban on trade in illegal occupied territories in Israel.
“I believe that this would have a greater level of support from member states, not unanimity, but I do believe that that would have a greater chance of receiving QMV (qualified majority) voting and support from member states,” Minister McEntee said.
The Irish Government is currently progressing the Occupied Territories Bill to ban the trade of goods from illegal Israeli settlements which will affect about €200,000 worth of fruit and vegetables.
“I believe that the only way that we can bring about change and a direction change from the Israeli government is where the EU responds collectively as a whole hasn’t happened as often as we’d like to date,” Minister McEntee said.
.png)
