00:03Hello and welcome to The Cube, Euronews' fact-checking show.
00:06As per EU rules, Israeli settlement goods should not be tariff exempt when they reach Europe.
00:12But they often are. Products from settlements such as wine, dates and tahini should not enjoy a tariff-free treatment
00:18as the EU-Israel Association Agreement only applies to made-in-Israel goods
00:22and settlements are considered illegal under international law.
00:26Independent investigations suggest that enforcement of these rules is inconsistent, allowing some products through.
00:32The NGO Global Eco revealed how products from settlements are mislabeled as made in Israel.
00:37What we learned from those industry representatives is that in many cases,
00:42they are either replacing the true origin with an Israeli address that is not where the product was produced,
00:50or they are mingling settlement goods with Israeli goods and putting them in the same product of Israel package.
00:57While awaiting on EU-wide restriction, several member states including Spain, Belgium, Slovenia and Ireland
01:03are considering their own national trade measures, despite trade policy being a strict EU competence.
01:09In late December 2025, Spain implemented a package of trade restrictions against Israel,
01:16including a ban on imports of goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the Golan Heights and East
01:21Jerusalem.
01:22Some argue the EU-Israel Association Agreement does not cover settlement goods,
01:26as the document limits its territorial scope to the territory of the State of Israel.
01:31Others say any imports restriction would be unlawful under EU legislation,
01:35as they would apply to all goods exported from Israel, including those from settlements that are shipped from Israel proper.
01:43Emily Sheffer Romerman told us that all Israeli exports go through Israeli ports and customs,
01:48whether from Israel's territory or from settlements.
01:51For now, EU foreign ministers are expected to hold talks on the matter in July.
01:55We'll see you next time.
01:56Bye.
01:56Bye.
01:59Bye.
Comments