EU institutions continue spending billions on Israeli companies

EU officials and several Spanish universities continue to allocate funds to Israeli firms despite the European Union’s recent procurement guidelines that restrict spending on companies linked to settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. A review of public procurement records released this week shows that the European Commission’s Directorate‑General for Research and Innovation, the European Investment Bank and a handful of other EU bodies have maintained contracts with Israeli technology and research providers, while institutions such as the University of Barcelona, the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Polytechnic University of Valencia have awarded research grants and procurement orders to the same firms.

The continued expenditures stem from exemptions built into the EU’s policy, which allows purchases for scientific collaboration, education and certain humanitarian projects. Critics argue that the lack of a uniform enforcement mechanism enables member states and public institutions to interpret the rules loosely, resulting in ongoing financial ties with Israeli companies that the EU otherwise seeks to limit. EU officials have indicated that the Commission will monitor compliance more closely and consider additional measures to ensure that all public spending aligns with the bloc’s stated objectives regarding the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict.