The European Union has reportedly decided to stop importing poultry and eggs from the West Bank settlements in compliance with the EU’ s guidelines issued last year which bar European businesses and other entities from conducting trade or cooperating with Israeli organizations and companies operating beyond the Green Line.
The EU informed the Israeli Agriculture Ministry that it recognized its veterinary supervision only within Israel’s pre-1967 borders and that settlement poultry produce therefore did not meet public health regulations for import.
The Agriculture Ministry said it was surprised by the new directive and made clear to the EU in a letter that the veterinary supervision in the settlements is not different from that in the rest of Israel and stands up to the international standards.
According to Israeli news website Walla poultry and poultry-related products from the settlements account for under 5 % of all such products in Israel, so that the new European guideline will not have much practical impact from an economic standpoint.