EU member states vote individually at the UN General Assembly, so a roll call can show major differences hidden by the phrase “the EU vote.” On 18 September 2024, EU members split on resolution ES-10/24: Czechia and Hungary voted against, while 12 members abstained and 11 voted in favor. The official meeting record lists each country by vote.
The September 2024 roll call
The resolution passed by 124 votes to 14, with 43 abstentions. Within the EU, the “no” votes were Czechia and Hungary. The abstentions were Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden. The remaining 11 EU members voted in favor: Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.
The 55th plenary meeting record identifies the vote as a recorded vote and gives the full roll call. It also records that the General Assembly required a two-thirds majority of members present and voting for adoption. The result was 124 in favor, 14 against and 43 abstentions.
What the resolution addressed
ES-10/24 concerned the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 advisory opinion. The resolution called for Israel to end its presence in the territories within 12 months and included calls directed at other states and international organizations. The General Assembly adopted it during the resumed tenth emergency special session, convened under the agenda item concerning Israeli actions.
The meeting record shows how governments explained their positions as well as how they voted. New Zealand, for example, said it supported the resolution while describing its 12-month timeline as unrealistic and calling for negotiations toward a two-state solution. Papua New Guinea explained that it voted against the draft, citing concerns about the process leading to the advisory opinion. These statements show that a yes or no vote does not capture every reason a government gives for its position.
How to read EU voting patterns
This roll call is one dated example, not a common EU position. A majority of the EU states voted in favor, but the 12 abstentions and two votes against show that member governments made distinct choices. At the UN, the EU can coordinate statements and diplomacy, while its member states remain the names recorded in General Assembly roll calls.
ES-10/24 was adopted by the General Assembly, not by the EU as a bloc. The UN Digital Library record identifies the resolution and its vote totals; the official meeting record supplies the country-by-country detail. For the treaty framework behind EU-Israel bilateral diplomacy, see the EU-Israel Association Agreement.