The European Commission took note of Tuesday’s ruling of the European Court of Justice on the interpretation of the underlying rules concerning indication of origin and decision to label goods from Judea and Samaria. "Clear and non-misleading indication of origin is an essential part of the European Union's (EU) consumer policy," a European Commission source said. "The Court’s decision confirms, as said in the Commission's interpretative notice of 2015, that the indication of origin of the products originating in Israeli settlements must be correct and not misleading for the consumer. The EU’s position regarding this issue did not change. "The control and enforcement of the correct implementation of EU rules regarding indication of origin is the task of the Member States. "The Court ruling does not concern products from Israel itself. Israel has a privileged trading relationship with the EU based on the EU-Israel Association Agreement, establishing that products originating in Israel within its internationally recognized borders benefit from preferential tariff treatment upon their entry into the EU. This situation will remain unchanged. "The EU has a long-standing and well-known position that it will not recognition any changes to pre-1967 Israeli borders other than those agreed by the parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The EU considers settlements in occupied territories illegal under international law. "The EU and Israel are very close partners and bilateral relations cover a wide number of important areas. The EU remains committed to working with Israel on a mutually beneficial relationship within the framework of the existing Action Plan. The EU reiterates its fundamental commitment to the security of Israel. "The EU does not support any form of boycott or sanctions against Israel. The EU rejects attempts by the campaigns of the so-called ‘Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions’ (BDS) movement to isolate Israel."
