Barry Andrews: 17% of Shipments Contain Settlement Goods
Barry Andrews (MEP) challenged the High Representative in plenary over the mislabelling of settlement goods and cited new Global Echo evidence showing widespread mislabelling. He asked whether the EU can address settlement goods without first confronting the association agreement with Israel.
Barry Andrews recalled a May exchange with the High Representative about settlement goods presented to EU customs as "made in Israel." He pressed the question of what EU customs can do when many shipments include goods from settlements.
Andrews highlighted Global Echo findings: of 5,900 shipments arriving in the EU, 17% contained settlement goods, a proportion he said is far higher than previously reported. The figures underline the extent of mislabelling at EU customs authorities.
Andrews argued the sequencing between addressing settlement goods and the broader association agreement is crucial. He questioned whether the Union can honestly tackle mislabelling and unlawful expansion of settlements without first revisiting trade arrangements.
Andrews called for a stop to supporting settlers through trade and urged policymakers to confront the legal and trade dimensions of settlement expansion. He framed the issue as both a matter of customs enforcement and of association policy between the EU and Israel.
Key exchange
Barry Andrews recalled a May exchange with the High Representative about settlement goods presented to EU customs as "made in Israel." He pressed the question of what EU customs can do when many shipments include goods from settlements.
New evidence
Andrews highlighted Global Echo findings: of 5,900 shipments arriving in the EU, 17% contained settlement goods, a proportion he said is far higher than previously reported. The figures underline the extent of mislabelling at EU customs authorities.
Policy implications
Andrews argued the sequencing between addressing settlement goods and the broader association agreement is crucial. He questioned whether the Union can honestly tackle mislabelling and unlawful expansion of settlements without first revisiting trade arrangements.
Conclusion
Andrews called for a stop to supporting settlers through trade and urged policymakers to confront the legal and trade dimensions of settlement expansion. He framed the issue as both a matter of customs enforcement and of association policy between the EU and Israel.
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Transcript
Thank you Madam President and High Representative. Back in May at the last plenary, you and I, you might recall, had a brief exchange about the problem of the mislabelling of settlement goods. And I raised this question with you on what could the EU customs authorities do about the fact that so many settlement goods are presented as made in Israel. And you replied, you said that exports from Israel are difficult to prevent in circumstances where there's circumvention unless we go after the suspension of trade with Israel as a whole. So what has happened since then is that Global Echo have published further evidence of widespread mislabelling of settlement goods presented at EU customs authorities as made in Israel. So of 5,900 shipments that arrived in the EU, 17% contained settlement goods, far in excess of what has been reported thus far. So the question is, can we honestly deal with the question of settlement goods without first dealing with the question of the association agreement? The sequencing is really crucial here. And I think it's very clear that expansion of settlements are unlawful and we must stop supporting settlers through trade. Thank you. Dankeschön. Nächster Redner ist der Kollege Sönderl.