Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-04-Speech-4-197"
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"en.20030904.6.4-197"2
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"Mr President, the Liberal Group suspects that the government of Israel is applying the origin rules of the Association Agreement in a way that derives from its settlement policies. No other explanation can justify the proofs of origin being issued to both manufactured and agricultural products – produced in settlements – which we consider illegal and therefore not covered by the agreement. These include chives, non-woven textiles, wine, snack foods and so on. Although they are given customs access by the EU, they are actually produced in West Bank settlements such as Barkan, the Golan Heights settlement of Katzrin and the Gaza Strip settlement of Gush Katif.
This is not a new issue. We know that the Member States are unable to reliably distinguish which consignments are eligible and which are not. We know that the Commission has compiled a list of settlement products and exporters, and is trying to expand the list. We know the list is incomplete and that Member States have not found it possible to identify, when shipments are presented for clearance, what products they contain.
The situation cannot continue for two reasons. Firstly, Liberals attach great importance to rules; here we are seeing a consistent, persistent breaking of the rules. We recognise there are difficulties. The Commission and the Member States bear separate and full responsibility for this, since they both have obligations to act to solve the problem.
It may be that those in the Commission who want to discharge their guardianship responsibility have insufficient political support within the Commission. The Member States that want to help have insufficient support in the Council. That is why this Parliament and the Member State parliaments need to act.
Above all, it is the duty of the government of Israel not to play tricks with a signed agreement. Israel should understand that this is not the time to do that. Unless they respect the clauses of the Association Agreement, the Israelis will have difficulty in convincing the rest of the world that they are acting in good faith in issues such as the peace process as a whole."@en1
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