October 10, 2014

EU to suspend dairy imports from the West Bank

Due to a minor technicality in EU legislation, the bloc will suspend dairy exports from the West Bank settlements from January 2015 onwards.

Israel's agriculture ministry has notified dairy factories across the country that dairy products produced beyond the Green Line, which include the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, will no longer be exportable to Europe, "either directly or indirectly".

The EU decision simply says it will no longer recognize the food inspection authority of agencies beyond Israel's pre-1967 borders.

This was the first time the EU imposed such condition on Israel. With this decision, dairy products from several areas in Israel, including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, can no longer be sold to the EU.

A spokesman for Israel's agriculture ministry, Amnon Lieberman, minimized the impact of the new EU legislation saying exports from those areas were minimal anyhow. 

The EU's decision comes as European countries were increasingly vocal against Israel's West Bank settlements, which they consider illegal.

While the order will not cause significant financial loss to Israel, Lieberman said the issue has its diplomatic implications.