A declaration made by the heads of state and ministers of foreign affairs of the nine member states of the European Community, forerunner of the European Union, in Venice, Italy, on 13 June 1980. The declaration outlined the European policy on the Arab-Israeli conflict in the aftermath of the 1979 Israel-Egypt peace treaty. Acting on the basis of UNSC Resolutions 242 and 338, the leaders called for a recognition of the right to existence and to security of all countries in the Middle East including Israel, as well as the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. The declaration stressed the need for a comprehensive solution to the "Palestinian problem", including the issues of refugees and Jerusalem, in the context of negotiations including the PLO, that would end the Israeli occupation that began with the 1967 Six Day War. It also cited the Israeli settlements as "a serious obstacle to the peace process", and called on Israel to refrain from unilateral actions in Jerusalem.