Will Palestinians take advantage of EU decision to label settlement products?
Palestinians are seeking to achieve economic gains from the EU decision to label products from settlements, by increasing their exports to EU markets.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — At a meeting in Brussels on Nov. 11, the European Commission decided to label the products that are made in the Israeli settlements within the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Although the Palestinian state and government welcomed the EU decision and perceived it as a political success against the settlements, it remains insufficient, which pushed Palestinians to demand further escalation to reach a boycott.
Through coordination between the Palestinian government and the private sector, Palestine is seeking to achieve economic advantages by replacing settlement products with Palestinian products in European cities.
The European Commission said in a statement Nov. 11 that its decision aims at labeling products coming from the territories under Israeli control since June 1967, which is a technical — rather than a political — measure to inform Europeans of the origin of the products. This is especially true since in terms of foodstuff and points of distribution, the origin of products should be mentioned on the labels, indicating whether they were manufactured in the settlements established on the 1967 occupied lands. This is considered a breach of international law and goes in line with the stance of the European Union, which considers settlements to be illegal, hindering the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis.
The Ministry of Economy spokesman, Azmi Abdul Rahman, told Al-Monitor that in cooperation with the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute-MAS, the ministry will be preparing a detailed study to determine the output of Palestinian products in comparison with similar products and goods manufactured in the settlements, which have been labeled and exported to EU countries. These could therefore represent a substitute to settlement products. The Palestine-made products would be granted government privileges, such as lower licensing fees and infrastructure costs, to increase their production and enhance their quality.
