The European Union issued a statement Wednesday clarifying that it did not place
the entire Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut municipality on a list it compiled of
settlements, but rather only three zip codes in the community that are just
beyond the Green Line.
The EU was responding to a Foreign Ministry
statement from a day earlier saying that “for anyone who deals in reality, there
is not the slightest doubt that the Modi’in, Maccabim and Re’ut localities are
an integral part of Israel, and their future is not in question. The EU
ignores reality when it extends the domain of conflict to places and issues that
do not belong there.”
The dueling statements followed the EU’s
publication on Tuesday of zip codes and a list of settlements from which
manufactured products would not be allowed duty-free entrance into
Europe.
Since 2004, Israeli exporters to EU countries have had to list
zip codes and place names from where goods were manufactured. Under the
EU-Israel free trade agreement, Israeli products are allowed into the EU
duty-free, but not products made in the settlements. EU products coming into
Israel also enjoy duty-free status.
In addition to anger at the inclusion
of parts of Modi’in, Maccabim and Re’ut on the list, the Foreign Ministry also
took umbrage at what it said was the body’s decision to unilaterally publish the
list on an internal EU website while negotiations over the issue were taking
place with Israel.
The EU statement Wednesday reiterated that on the
basis of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, “all manufactured goods and nearly
all agricultural goods are imported into the EU from Israel free of customs
duties. However, customs duties need to be paid for goods produced in Israeli
localities beyond the Green Line.”
Since 2004, the statement said, an
arrangement between the EU and Israel was put in place whereby the list of zip
codes and those localities that could not benefit from the customs exemptions
was distributed to the customs authorities of the EU member states.
The
decision to publish the list now, the statement continued, was meant to “ensure
full implementation” of the agreement and create greater
transparency.
“This will make it easier for EU importers to determine
whether customs duties need to be paid or not,” the statement read.
“The
notice does not change how customs duties are applied to goods coming from
Israel. It only advises importers to consult the list of postcodes to ensure
that they do not claim exemptions to which they are not
entitled.”
Israeli officials said that the decision to publish the list
came as a result of pressure from various parliamentarians and NGOs in Europe
who complained that various businesses from the settlements were falling through
the cracks and gaining duty-free access to European markets.
One official
said that the impression in Jerusalem was that when it came to statements
regarding Israel and the Palestinians, “elements who are really partisan” seemed
to be driving policy, “maybe because the higher-level leadership is dealing with
more important issues.” The official listed the consuls-general of the EU
countries in east Jerusalem as among those partisan elements.
The
official said the decision to raise the issue of Modi’in- Maccabim-Re’ut was
“simply ludicrous” and has never been raised during any Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations. “Positions like this will make the EU irrelevant,” he
said.
Regarding the three areas, the EU statement said that the zip codes
on the list “correspond to localities within the territories brought under
Israeli administration since June 1967. In contrast to the statement published
by the MFA [Israeli Foreign Ministry] on 14 August, Modi’in-Maccabim- Re’ut is
not included in its entirety in this list. In fact the list refers only to three
zip codes – 71724, 71728 and 71799 – that correspond to the small part of
Modi’in-Maccabim- Re’ut that is situated beyond the Green Line.”
The
statement said that “the EU has consistently called upon the parties to resume
negotiations on all final status issues, including borders.”
“The EU will
recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders agreed by the parties,” it
continued. Regarding Israel’s claim that the EU took the action
unilaterally, the statement said the publication of the list did not require
negotiations.
“However, prior to its publication, the EU, in accordance
with the 2004 arrangement, extensively consulted with the Israeli government and
its suggestions have been taken into account as far as possible.”