Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2015
31. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he is taking, diplomatic or otherwise, to advocate at the European Foreign Affairs Council level for a ban on the import of goods to the European Union from illegal Israeli settlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45468/15]
View answerThe European Union has taken a number of steps to differentiate between its treatment of imports from Israel and goods coming from illegal Israeli settlements. Settlement goods are not entitled to the lower tariffs that are the norm in the EU, and meat from settlements may not be certified by Israeli veterinary authorities. EU research funding may not be spent in settlements. Most recently, the European Commission last month clarified that goods from settlements may not be misleadingly labelled as being produce of Israel. Ireland has supported all of these measures.
This is part of a general approach, in line with the conclusions of the Council in December 2012, to differentiate the EU's relationship with Israel from the relationship with the settlements.
There is no prospect whatever at present of obtaining agreement at EU level on a ban on the import of goods from the settlements. And while that remains the case, it would be futile and counterproductive for Ireland to try to push such an approach. The reasons for this have been explained on a number of occasions in more detail with Oireachtas Committees.
