ISTANBUL 

Belgium will vote in favor of the European Commission proposal for the partial suspension of Israel’s participation in a research program with EU participation, the nation’s prime minister said Tuesday.

"At my initiative, Belgium has decided today to support the European Commission’s proposal for the partial suspension of Israel’s participation in the Horizon Europe program," Maxime Prevot wrote on X.

If a majority votes for the measure, it would represent the "first concrete" European sanction on Israel’s government and its economic interests, he said.

"We continue to call on the Commission to quickly submit other concrete proposals for measures regarding the Association Agreement, especially since the initial commitments made to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid appear not to have been respected," Prevot stressed.

Underlining that airdrops are "only a temporary solution," he called for full and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Prevot also shared a written Foreign Ministry statement saying the proposed measure would "exclusively" affect Israeli entities' participation in the European Innovation Council Accelerator, a program designed to support startups developing breakthrough innovations and emerging technologies.

"If adopted at the EU level, Israel would lose future access to nearly €400 million ($462 million) in grants and investment support still available under this program," the statement noted.

It further reassured that the proposal is currently being reviewed by EU member states within the Council of the European Union.

"Once the Danish Presidency of the Council deems a qualified majority is secured, the proposal will be placed on the agenda of the Coreper II meeting (ambassadors of member states to the EU) on August 13, and then formally adopted via written procedure by the Council. The measure would come into force 30 calendar days after its notification to the Association Council," the statement explained.