Brussels, 28/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 27 February, around 20 Belgian organisations launched the “Made in illegality” campaign, calling for a halt to the economic, trade and financial relations between the European Union and Israeli settlements. “There is a big contradiction in the EU. The EU criticises the settlements but it continues its economic, trade and financial relations with the settlements”, said Arnaud Zacharie, the secretary general of CNCD 11.11.11. These relations contribute to the development of the settlements, says professor of international law François Dubuisson, who has written a report on “The international obligations of the EU and its member states regarding its economic relations with the Israeli settlements”.
Recalling that these settlements are illegal under international law and that they are consolidated by the economic activity resulting from them, the organisations call on the EU to ban the import of products from the Israeli settlements. Much fruit and many vegetables and flowers, as well as Israeli wine, come from the settlements - as do Ahava cosmetics and Sodastream fizzy drinks machines. The European Commission is trying to have these products labelled as coming from the settlements so as to inform consumers but there is no unanimity at the Council on this.
The organisations also want European companies to be discouraged from investing in, and conducting trade relations with, the Israeli settlements. The companies established in the settlements should be excluded from public procurement and calls for tenders, add the organisations - which want European citizens to be discouraged from purchasing property in the settlements. Lastly, the organisations want the Belgian government and EU to put together “directives for travellers so that they might avoid any form of support to these companies or to tourist sites in the settlements”. (CG)