EU Foreign Ministers will discuss again the issue of labeling of Israeli settlement products at a meeting in December, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the 28 EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels, she declared : ‘’I updated the ministers on the labeling guidelines and we will come back to this issue at our meeting in December after the visit of the Mideast Quartet to Israel and the Palestinian Authority.’’

The discussion on this issue will be made in the framework of a broader review of the Middle East Peace Process which was discussed on Monday, an EU source told European Jewish Press (EJP).

The European Commission annnounced last week the new guidelines for labeling products manufactured in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Golan Heights and sold on the EU market.

The new ‘’interpretative notice’’ on indication of origin of goods was slammed by Israel as ‘’discriminatory’’ while it was described in Brussels as ‘’purely technical and not representing a political stance’’.

According to meeting conclusions published later on Monday, EU Foreign Ministers welcomed the interpretative notice. But according to Israeli press reports, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said during a visit in Jerusalem that his country will not label separately products made in the West Bank or the Golan Heights.

The minister reportdely called the EU labeling guidelines for Israeli settlement products ‘’irrational’’ and said they do not contribute to solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Asked by EJP if the labeling decision could be reconsidered by the ministers, the EU source said : ‘no, it is a decision by the European Commission.’’

EU Foreign Ministers discussed Monday the situation in the Middle East, in the light of increased violence notably in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, in presence of the EU Special Representative for the Middle East, Fernando Gentilini.

Federica Mogherini informed the ministers about her recent meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, ‘’during which she underlined the need to explore ways to stop violence, calm down the situation and start implementing concrete measures on the ground, consistent with prior agreements,’’ according to the EU Council conclusions.

‘’The objective remains to improve living conditions for the population, both the Israeli and the Palestinian, giving new perspectives on the political process,’’ the ministers said.

The ministers highlighted the importance of keeping the issue high on the agenda in the light of increased violence and the situation's fragility, including as regards the security situation in the holy sites.

Mogherini concluded the discussion by stating that the EU should continue its engagement to facilitate the revival of a credible political process. She said she will continue engaging with both parties, as well as with regional and international partners, both within the Quartet and through her bilateral contacts.

by Yossi Lempkowicz