Middle East Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 November 2014

Tuesday, 25 November 2014

Ceisteanna (385)

Joe Costello

Ceist:

385. Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the value of products imported into Ireland from Israel benefitting from the preferential tariff under the EU-Israel Association Agreement in 2011, 2012 and 2013; the sectors that have qualified for the preferential tariff under the EU-Israel Association Agreement in 2011, 2012 and 2013; the value of products imported into Ireland that were produced in the Israeli settlements located within the territories brought under Israeli administration since June 1967 that are not entitled to benefit from the preferential tariff treatment under the EU-Israel Association Agreement in 2011, 2012 and 2013; if there is a system in place for checking that products imported either directly or indirectly into Ireland from Israel under the EU-Israel Association Agreement are products from within Israel's pre-1967 borders as opposed to its post-1967 borders; if Ireland checks, and if so with what regularity; if goods imported directly or indirectly into Ireland from Israel under the EU-Israel Association Agreement are actually produced within Israel's pre-1967 borders as opposed to its post-1967 borders; the value of goods imported into Ireland from those parts of Palestine not under the control of Israel in the years 2011, 2012 and 2013; the measures taken to ensure that the exact origin of products are accurately described; the value of products imported from the West Bank and Gaza to Ireland in 2011, 2012 and 2013; the considerations that have been given to excluding settlement products from the Irish market including from public procurement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44914/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

The question of excluding settlement products from the market has been discussed many times in the Oireachtas. Ireland is a member of a trading union, and external trade policy is a competence of the European Union. It is not therefore possible to exclude settlement products from the Irish market alone. Ireland has stated previously that it could support the exclusion of settlement products from the EU market, but there is no possibility at present of such a policy receiving sufficient support within the Council.

The principal current sanction against settlement products is that they are not eligible for the lower tariffs on import to the EU which are applied to goods from Israel and from many other states. The European Commission has established certain administrative measures to distinguish settlement goods from those originating in Israel, based on post codes. The onus is on the importer to demonstrate that the goods being imported are entitled to the lower rate.

As with imports from any area where differing tariffs are applied, the possibility exists of exporters or importers deliberately seeking to confuse eligibility so as to benefit from lower tariffs. This is a standard problem for police and revenue authorities to combat in the usual way.

Existing place of origin rules in the EU do not require place of origin marking on all goods. Where such origin is marked, however, on either a statutory or voluntary basis, it requires that such marking be accurate, in other words that goods produced in settlements should not be labelled as coming from somewhere else, including Israel. Moves are being considered to issue guidelines to make this distinction more clear to importers and retailers, but it is already a principle in EU law.

Trade statistics are compiled by the Central Statistics Office and those in respect of imports from Israel and/or the Occupied Palestinian Territory are on public access on that Office’s website.