The European Union has again refused to modify its recent decision to impose special labels for products imported from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Golan Heights.
Following talks at the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, the European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said EU countries stood “united on these technical guidelines on the indication of origin, which is in no way a boycott."
Mogherini declared after the meeting that she and the ministers of the 28 EU member states had "decided that it was important also for me to pass this message publicly that the Council and the European Union stay united on these technical guidelines on indication of origin, which is in no way a boycott and should in no way be interpreted as one,” she said.
“The second thing on which the Council was completely united is our continued engagement in the Middle East peace process and in broader bilateral relations with Israel. There is full unity and solidarity among member states and among European institutions on that.”
The EU recently announced that goods produced in Israeli settlements must have special labels and cannot be marked as having been made in Israel.
In reaction, Israel said it would freeze contacts with the EU on matters related to the Middle East peace process.
