Judges hear ‘landmark’ case on labelling of wine from West Bank and Golan
European officials listen to case brought by Psagot Winery Ltd and referred to the French Conseil d’Etat following an opinion published by a French Minister in 2016
Judges in Europe’s highest court have heard a “landmark” case focused on a French law regarding the labelling of goods from the Golan Heights and the West Bank.
The case was brought by Psagot Winery Ltd, located in the West Bank, against an opinion published by the French Minister of Economics and Finance in November 2016. It was heard last year before the French Conseil d’Etat, France’s highest court, which referred it to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
This stated that products from the Golan Heights or West Bank have to be labelled as coming from Israeli settlements – “colonies Israéliennes” – or equivalent terms.
At the European Court of Justice (ECJ), lawyers for Psagot – supported by the US-based Lawfare Project – argued that applying the label “colonies Israéliennes” goes beyond the law.
They said the law was not designed for political labelling but for clear consumer information and that applying the law in this way opens a “Pandora’s Box” requiring complex labelling for products from disputed territories around the world.
“I am confident that the ECJ will be very careful to keep its interpretation of EU law within a legal framework, without making foreign policy,” said Psagot lawyer Francois-Henri Briard.
ECJ president Koen Lenaerts heard arguments from representatives of Sweden, Ireland and France, which advocate settlement labelling, but Briard said: “The purpose of EU rules is to protect health for consumers and provide fair information on food products; it has nothing to do with political geography.”
He added: “The attempts of the European Commission to justify the use of the word ‘colony’ using an argument based on social and ethical consumer information, goes beyond EU text and looks like an awkward legal framework. I do not think the ECJ will follow such poor and political argument.”
The Lawfare Project’s Brooke Goldstein said: “of the hundreds of territorial disputes around the world, it is Israeli businesses alone that find themselves targeted… The importance of the Court’s decision should not be understated.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
