Israeli settlement

According to Israeli government estimates, $230 million worth of settler goods including fruit, vegetables, cosmetics, textiles and toys are exported to the EU each year, accounting for approximately 2% of all Israeli exports to Europe.<ref name=SpiegelSC>{{cite news|last=Sydow|first=Christoph|title=Activists Seek Ban on Trade with Israeli Settlers|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/eu-activists-demand-an-end-to-imports-from-israeli-settlements-a-864355.html|access-date=2012-11-02|newspaper=Spiegel|date=2012-10-30|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126032414/https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/eu-activists-demand-an-end-to-imports-from-israeli-settlements-a-864355.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A 2013 report of Profundo revealed that at least 38 Dutch companies imported settlement products.<ref name=Profundo>Profundo, [http://www.profundo.nl/files/download/Cord-ICCO-IKV0413.pdf ''Dutch economic links with the occupation''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621170906/http://www.profundo.nl/files/download/Cord-ICCO-IKV0413.pdf |date=21 June 2013 }}. 20 April 2013. [http://www.profundo.nl/page/show/themes#mensenrechten Available on] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621115244/http://www.profundo.nl/page/show/themes#mensenrechten |date=21 June 2013 }}</ref>

According to Israeli government estimates, $230 million worth of settler goods including fruit, vegetables, cosmetics, textiles and toys are exported to the EU each year, accounting for approximately 2% of all Israeli exports to Europe.<ref name=SpiegelSC>{{cite news|last=Sydow|first=Christoph|title=Activists Seek Ban on Trade with Israeli Settlers|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/eu-activists-demand-an-end-to-imports-from-israeli-settlements-a-864355.html|access-date=2012-11-02|newspaper=Spiegel|date=2012-10-30|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126032414/https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/eu-activists-demand-an-end-to-imports-from-israeli-settlements-a-864355.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A 2013 report of Profundo revealed that at least 38 Dutch companies imported settlement products.<ref name=Profundo>Profundo, [http://www.profundo.nl/files/download/Cord-ICCO-IKV0413.pdf ''Dutch economic links with the occupation''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621170906/http://www.profundo.nl/files/download/Cord-ICCO-IKV0413.pdf |date=21 June 2013 }}. 20 April 2013. [http://www.profundo.nl/page/show/themes#mensenrechten Available on] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621115244/http://www.profundo.nl/page/show/themes#mensenrechten |date=21 June 2013 }}</ref>

[[European Union]] law requires a distinction to be made between goods originating in Israel and those from the occupied territories. The former benefit from preferential custom treatment according to the [[Israel–European Union relations|EU-Israel Association Agreement (2000)]]; the latter don't, having been explicitly excluded from the agreement.<ref name=SpiegelSC /><ref name=g20091210 /> In practice, however, settler goods often avoid mandatory customs through being labelled as originating in Israel, while European customs authorities commonly fail to complete obligatory postal code checks of products to ensure they have not originated in the occupied territories.<ref name=SpiegelSC /><ref name=Profundo />

[[European Union]] law requires a distinction to be made between goods originating in Israel and those from the occupied territories. The former benefit from preferential custom treatment according to the [[Israel–European Union relations|EU-Israel Association Agreement (2000)]]; the latter do not, having been explicitly excluded from the agreement.<ref name=SpiegelSC /><ref name=g20091210 /> In practice, however, settler goods often avoid mandatory customs through being labelled as originating in Israel, while European customs authorities commonly fail to complete obligatory postal code checks of products to ensure they have not originated in the occupied territories.<ref name=SpiegelSC /><ref name=Profundo />

In 2009, the [[United Kingdom]]'s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs issued new guidelines concerning labelling of goods imported from the West Bank. The new guidelines require labelling to clarify whether West Bank products originate from settlements or from the Palestinian economy. Israel's foreign ministry said that the UK was "catering to the demands of those whose ultimate goal is the boycott of Israeli products"; but this was denied by the UK government, who said that the aim of the new regulations was to allow consumers to choose for themselves what produce they buy.<ref name=g20091210>{{Cite news|author1=Ian Black |author2=Rory McCarthy |title=UK issues new guidance on labelling of food from illegal West Bank settlements|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/10/guidance-labelling-food-israeli-settlements|newspaper=The Guardian|location=United Kingdom|date=10 December 2009|access-date=5 January 2012}}]</ref> Denmark has similar legislation requiring food products from settlements in the occupied territories to be accurately labelled.<ref name=SpiegelSC /> In June 2022, Norway also stated that it would begin complying with EU regulation to label produce originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Golan Heights as such.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Times of Israel |title=Israel bristles as Norway mandates labels for produce from West Bank, Golan |date=11 June 2022 |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-bristles-as-norway-mandates-labels-for-produce-from-west-bank-golan/ |access-date=13 June 2022 |archive-date=13 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220613090739/https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-bristles-as-norway-mandates-labels-for-produce-from-west-bank-golan/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2009, the [[United Kingdom]]'s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs issued new guidelines concerning labelling of goods imported from the West Bank. The new guidelines require labelling to clarify whether West Bank products originate from settlements or from the Palestinian economy. Israel's foreign ministry said that the UK was "catering to the demands of those whose ultimate goal is the boycott of Israeli products"; but this was denied by the UK government, who said that the aim of the new regulations was to allow consumers to choose for themselves what produce they buy.<ref name=g20091210>{{Cite news|author1=Ian Black |author2=Rory McCarthy |title=UK issues new guidance on labelling of food from illegal West Bank settlements|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/10/guidance-labelling-food-israeli-settlements|newspaper=The Guardian|location=United Kingdom|date=10 December 2009|access-date=5 January 2012}}]</ref> Denmark has similar legislation requiring food products from settlements in the occupied territories to be accurately labelled.<ref name=SpiegelSC /> In June 2022, Norway also stated that it would begin complying with EU regulation to label produce originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Golan Heights as such.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Times of Israel |title=Israel bristles as Norway mandates labels for produce from West Bank, Golan |date=11 June 2022 |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-bristles-as-norway-mandates-labels-for-produce-from-west-bank-golan/ |access-date=13 June 2022 |archive-date=13 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220613090739/https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-bristles-as-norway-mandates-labels-for-produce-from-west-bank-golan/ |url-status=live }}</ref>