(2004/C 78 E/0728)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-4072/03

by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 January 2004)

Subject:   Application of the EC-Israel Association Agreement

Does the Commission consider that the proposal announced in November 2003 by Israel ‘to list the city of origin for the goods’ on proofs of origin (or on products) would enable ‘the national customs authorities to determine, for each and every individual consignment, whether, under those provisions, the elements of fact and law allow refusal of the preferential tariff treatment’?

Does the Commission consider that listing the name of a locale can enable Member States to identify Israeli settlement goods commingled in shipments with essentially identical goods originating in Israel, products incorporating settlement-produced components to an extent as to render that product non-originating, or products in which working or processing carried out in settlements is cumulated with working or processing carried out in Israel?

Is the Commission aware that Israeli officials have been quoted as estimating that ‘as much as USD 2 billion of Israel's annual USD 7 billion exports to Europe’ (1) incorporates some material from settlements?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 2004)

The Israeli suggestion of indicating the place of production of goods being exported to the Community still needs to be further clarified by Israel before any conclusions can be drawn, for example as regards its possible effect on refusal by the national customs authorities of preferential tariff treatment.

One of the issues to be clarified would indeed be to know how the proposed scheme would be implemented, for example in the case of mixed consignments, which include both goods produced in the settlements and products obtained in the territory of the State of Israel.

The statement reported by the New York Times in May 2001 was never made to the Commission by Israeli officials.

(1)  ‘In meetings with European negotiators, Israeli officials have said that as much as USD 2 billion of Israel's annual USD 7 billion exports to Europe could be penalised by a policy change, as many Israeli manufactured goods incorporate some materials from settlement communities.’ EU Targets Goods Made in Israeli Settlements, William A. Orme Jr., New York Times, 22 May 2001.