Court says EU states must label Israeli settlement products
Source: Associated Press
Court says EU states must label Israeli settlement products
By LORNE COOK and JOSEF FEDERMAN
November 12, 2019
BRUSSELS (AP) The European Unions top court ruled Tuesday that EU countries must identify products made in Israeli settlements on their labels, in a decision that was welcomed by rights groups but sparked anger in Israel.
The European Court of Justice said that when products come from an Israeli settlement, their labels must provide an indication of that provenance so that consumers can make informed choices when they shop.
The EU rejects Israeli settlement expansion, saying it undermines the hopes for a two-state solution by gobbling up lands claimed by the Palestinians. Israel says the labeling is unfair and discriminatory and says other countries involved in disputes over land are not similarly sanctioned.
The volume of settlement goods coming into Europe, including olive oil, fruit and wine but also industrial products, is relatively small compared to the political significance of the court ruling. It is estimated to affect about 1% of imports from Israel, which amount to about 15 billion euros ($16.5 billion) a year.
The EU wants any produce made in the settlements to be easily identifiable to shoppers and insists that it must not carry the generic Made in Israel tag.
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