EU member states could not rally the support necessary to suspend Israel from the Horizon Europe fund in response to the war in Gaza. The proposal needed a qualified majority of member states to pass it. But two of the largest countries - Germany and Italy - said they need more time to examine it. #EuropeNews

A European Commission proposal to deny Israel partial access to the EU’s €95 billion Horizon Europe research fund failed to garner the necessary qualified majority support when EU ambassadors met in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

Both Germany and Italy said they needed more time and would let the EU know if they come to a different position in the coming weeks, according to two sources familiar.

The Netherlands, Ireland, France, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Portugal, Malta and Spain all supported the Commission’s plan with several saying they would also push the EU for stronger sanctions, potentially in trade, the sources said.

The Commission’s motion to suspend Israel’s participation in Horizon is in response to an EU report finding the country had breached human rights obligations in the EU-Israel Association Agreement.