§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library the agenda for the meeting of the EU Association Committee in May to review the operation of the EU-Israel Association agreement. [158804]
§ Mr. VazA copy of the provisional agenda, agreed by the EU and Israel, was deposited in the Library on 26 April.
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the EU Association Committee will consider at its meeting in May to stop the import into the EU under preferences of goods labelled "made in Israel" which originate in Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. [158807]
§ Mr. VazThe EU-Israel Association committee will discuss goods from settlements under the agenda item entitled "Rules of Origin". We expect the EU to raise the post-verification requests for certificates of origin and to remind the Israelis that they have until June 2001 to respond.
In consultation with the European Commission, the UK and other members states are carrying out a post-verification exercise in relation to a number of goods exported to the EU and described as Israeli. These are goods which benefit from preferential access to the EU under the origin protocol in the EU-Israel Association agreement.
The UK continues to support the Commission's efforts to establish whether any infringement of the EU-Israel Association agreement has taken place.
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§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who will represent the British Government at the meeting in May of the EU Association committee reviewing the EU-Israel Association agreement. [158805]
§ Mr. VazThe EU-Israel Association agreement states that "the Association Committee shall meet at official level". The UK will be represented by an official from the UK permanent representation to the EU.