New guidance from the Government designed to help shoppers distinguish between produce from Israel and from the Occupied Palestinian Territories has been welcomed by Pendle MP, Gordon Prentice.

The MP commented: "I have been pressing for years for this issue to be addressed. The EU-Israel Association Agreement has been in force since 2000 and allows products from Israel to be imported into EU countries at a preferential tariff rate. But the EU doesnot recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of the State of Israel." (i.e. those territoriesoccupied by Israel since 1967).

"Israel has been exporting "Israeli" products to the EU and benefitting from the preferential tariffs when, in reality, the products are from the Occupied Palestinian Territories."

"This move is long overdue and I welcome it."

Note to Editors: The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs explained: "The Government has received requests from retailers, consumer groups and NGOs for greater clarity about which origin should be stated on food and drink goods that have been produced and packed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Their enquiries have focused particularlyon the distinction between products from Palestinian producers and products from Israeli settlements in the OPT.

For produce from the West Bank, labelling currently states country of origin as ‘Produce of the West Bank’. Traders and retailers may wish to indicate whether the product originated from an Israeli settlement or from Palestinian producers. This could take the form, for example, of

‘Produce of the West Bank (Israeli settlement produce)’ or ‘Produce of the West Bank (Palestinian produce)’, as appropriate.

Separately, the Government considers that traders would be misleading consumers, and would therefore almost be certainly committing an offence, if they were to declare produce from the OPT (including from the West Bank) as ‘Produce of Israel’. This would apply irrespective of whether the produce was from a Palestinian producer or from an Israeli settlement in the OPT. This is because the area does not fall within the internationally recognised borders of the state of Israel.Background information: HMG Position Statement: Israeli Settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territories

The Occupied Palestinian Territories were occupied by Israel in 1967. They include the territories of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Settlements are Israeli communities established, usually by Israeli citizens, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (there are no longer any Israeli settlements in Gaza).

Israeli settlements in the OPT are unlawful under international law. They contravene Article 49 (6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its own civilian population into occupied territory.

Since 1997 there has been a Euro-Mediterranean Interim Association Agreement on trade and cooperation between the European Community and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). This agreement grants duty free or reduced tariff treatment (within quotas) on Palestinian products originating in the OPT which are exported to the EU.