Delegation for relations with Israel. MINUTES of the meeting of 2 February 2017, Brussels

Transcription

1 European Parliament Delegation for relations with Israel D-IL_PV(2017)0202_1 MINUTES of the meeting of 2 February 2017, Brussels The meeting opened at on Thursday, 2 February 2017, with Fulvio Martusciello (Chair) presiding. 1. Adoption of agenda (PE ) The agenda was adopted unanimously. 2. Approval of the minutes of the meeting of 14 December 2016 (PE ) The minutes were approved with no changes. 3. Chair's announcements The Delegation Chair expressed satisfaction with the good attendance of the meeting. He acknowledged that this meeting has brought about some debate. He recalled that the European Parliament is a democratically elected house of open discussions. The Chair introduced the guest speaker, Mr Sydney Knafou, and gave him the floor. 4. Exchange of views on the UNSC Resolution 2334 and its implications for EU businesses, in the presence of Mr. Sydney KNAFOU, CEO, Casimex Mr Sydney Knafou delivered his testimony on the problems he and his peers encounter as economic operators in France due to the lack of clarity of EU legislation concerning the trade in products originating from the Israeli settlements. Mr Knafou expressed his concern that foreign policy objectives vis-a-vis Israel have led to the adoption of EU regulations and policy statements, which detrimentally affect European business. The guest speaker informed the Members of D-IL his business had been disrupted by unhelpful statements made at the EU level, which are politically motivated and unrelated to any legitimate European business concern. With the adoption of the United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 on 23 December 2016, this trend is increasing. As an experienced European businessperson, Mr Knafou is aware of the PV\ EN.docx PE v01.00 EN United in diversity EN

2 potential for harm that EU businesses will suffer if the European Commission adopts these policy suggestions as commercial regulations. Mr Knafou stressed that it was difficult for SMEs, such as his own company, to comply with all administrative laws and regulations, particularly in the food sector. He gave concrete examples of difficult situations that he encounters with wine imports from Israel, since these laws and regulations are very detailed and require significant resources. He also mentioned the strict labeling requirements. He further brought up the issue of Better Regulation of the European Commission. According to him, many CEOs of European companies expected things to change for the better, not for the worse. Mr Knafou explained the following: Better Regulation was supposed to make regulations less costly, and provide maximum benefits for EU businesses and consumers, while avoiding unnecessary regulatory burdens. Unfortunately, when it comes to legislation and policy statements made with respect to Israeli products, the Better Regulation promise has been broken, and the efficiency expectation of economic operators unfulfilled. At this point, the speaker mentioned the Interpretative Notice (IN) on the labeling of products originating in the settlements of the EU adopted in November Mr Knafou quoted that the IN states: products that I import from Israel, with Israeli certificates and according with EU customs legislation, cannot be labeled as Made in Israel. However, the notice fails to indicate exactly how these products should be labeled. Mr Knafou finds the IN vague and its mandate is undefined. Moreover, it is completely inconsistent with the precedents set by various European courts, including the European Court of Justice - he added. Then he stressed that the problematic labeling notice is part of a broader, and deeply worrying, European trend. There is no justification for penalizing EU businesses based on foreign policy objectives. He reiterated that foreign policy-oriented legislation and policy statements negatively affected EU businesses. If the trend continues, jobs will be lost and value will be destroyed. The financial burden will be borne primarily, and perhaps exclusively, by EU businesses. In his concluding remarks, Mr Knafou stressed the following: The Better Regulation promise suggests that when high quality products are brought safely into the EU for distribution by responsible European businesses, those products should be able to enter the European market without protest, and the distributors and clients should be able to engage in EU commerce without threats of violence. EN Mr Knafou s presentation prompted reactions from three members of DPAL, who claimed that Casimex mislabels the products it imports from the settlements, which is against French law and international law, and argued in favour of the Interpretative Notice. According to them, products originating in the settlements should not get any preferential treatment. They stressed the need for European companies to respect the regulation in force and asked for explanations from the representative of the EEAS, who was attending the meeting. Members of D-IL pointed to the attention of the guest speaker that labeling was not anti-semitic, not anti-israel. They drew attention to the fact that some people are mixing up the issues of BDS and labeling, which is dangerous. They stressed that the EP remains in favour of the two-state solution in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. The EEAS representative highlighted that the responsibility to implement EU legislation correctly lies with the EU Member States. The institutions do not have the capacity to prosecute any economic operator in the matter. The EC has to PE v /7 PV\ EN.docx

3 ensure that the Member States apply the legislation correctly. The EC has put in place a precise mechanism of verification in this regard. The Chair of D-IL mentioned that this is the first time, since the adoption of the IN, that the EP has held a debate on this issue. He understands that European companies operating in Europe ask for Better Regulation, clear requirements and the products that respect the rules in force should not be boycotted. The guest speaker called upon the MEPs to be sensitive to these concerns and to oppose any attempts to make imports or conditions of sale more difficult for EU businesses. He asked for clarification regarding the way in which the companies should label their products, in order to avoid any further confusion, and to ensure that European economic operators comply with the existing legislation, in accordance with the principle of Better Regulation. He drew the attention of those present at the meeting that kosher products imported from Israel were vandalized in certain shops in France. Casimex is affected by notices saying Boycott Israel, which has nothing to do with freedom of speech. Labelling the products after their import into Europe is a difficult and costly operation, which involves lots of work and resources. According to the speaker, labelling of products should be done in Israel, not in Europe. However, the Israeli producers are also waiting for correct information on the way in which they should label the products that they export. Besides, economic operators are still waiting for accurate information on the correct way to label imported products. The representative of the EEAS explained that the EC has a practical arrangement with Israel that the products from the settlements are not covered by the preferential treatment in the Association Agreement. This is working perfectly well. However, as far as the indication of origin on the products, the EU Member States have complained that the legislation was not clear. The EEAS representative made it clear that labelling was necessary only on certain products, not on all of them. Therefore, the regulation is different for different products, which created confusions among consumers, among some Member States on how to label the products from the settlements. This is the reason why the EC issued the IN, which indicates how labelling should be performed. The IN is intended for the administrations of the Member States, who need to implement the EU regulation correctly. This takes time, indeed, and the EC will follow up on this issue in future. 5. Any other business One Member of D-IL suggested that, in future, the delegation should invite more than one guest speaker to its meetings, including a representative of the European Commission in order to avoid confusions between BDS and labelling. 6. Date and place of the next meeting The next meeting of D-IL will take place on 27 March 2017 in Brussels. The meeting closed at PV\ EN.docx 3/7 PE v01.00

4 ПРИСЪСТВЕН ЛИСТ/LISTA DE ASISTENCIA/PREZENČNÍ LISTINA/DELTAGERLISTE/ ANWESENHEITSLISTE/KOHALOLIJATE NIMEKIRI/ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΠΑΡΟΝΤΩΝ/RECORD OF ATTENDANCE/ LISTE DE PRÉSENCE/POPIS NAZOČNIH/ELENCO DI PRESENZA/APMEKLĒJUMU REĢISTRS/DALYVIŲ SĄRAŠAS/ JELENLÉTI ÍV/REĠISTRU TA' ATTENDENZA/PRESENTIELIJST/LISTA OBECNOŚCI/LISTA DE PRESENÇAS/ LISTĂ DE PREZENŢĂ/PREZENČNÁ LISTINA/SEZNAM NAVZOČIH/LÄSNÄOLOLISTA/DELTAGARLISTA Бюро/Mesa/Předsednictvo/Formandskabet/Vorstand/Juhatus/Προεδρείο/Bureau/Predsjedništvo/Ufficio di presidenza/prezidijs/ Biuras/Elnökség/Prezydium/Birou/Predsedníctvo/Predsedstvo/Puheenjohtajisto/Presidiet (*) Fulvio Martusciello. Членове/Diputados/Poslanci/Medlemmer/Mitglieder/Parlamendiliikmed/Μέλη/Members/Députés/Zastupnici/Deputati/Deputāti/Nariai/ Képviselõk/Membri/Leden/Posłowie/Deputados/Deputaţi/Jäsenet/Ledamöter Arne Lietz, Róża Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein, Branislav Škripek. Заместници/Suplentes/Náhradníci/Stedfortrædere/Stellvertreter/Asendusliikmed/Αναπληρωτές/Substitutes/Suppléants/Zamjenici/ Supplenti/Aizstājēji/Pavaduojantysnariai/Póttagok/Sostituti/Plaatsvervangers/Zastępcy/Membros suplentes/supleanţi/náhradníci/ Namestniki/Varajäsenet/Suppleanter Nicolas Bay, Renate Weber. 200 (2) Margrete Auken, Rosa D'Amato, Marita Ulvskog. 206 (3) 53 (6) (Точка от дневния ред/punto del orden del día/bod pořadu jednání (OJ)/Punkt på dagsordenen/tagesordnungspunkt/ Päevakorra punkt/ημερήσια Διάταξη Σημείο/Agenda item/point OJ/Točka dnevnog reda/punto all'ordine del giorno/darba kārtības punkts/darbotvarkės punktas/napirendi pont/punt Aġenda/Agendapunt/Punkt porządku dziennego/ponto OD/Punct de pe ordinea de zi/bod programu schôdze/točka UL/Esityslistan kohta/föredragningslista punkt) Mr. Sydney KNAFOU, CEO, Casimex EN PE v /7 PV\ EN.docx

5 Наблюдатели/Observadores/Pozorovatelé/Observatører/Beobachter/Vaatlejad/Παρατηρητές/Observers/Observateurs/Promatrači/ Osservatori/Novērotāji/Stebėtojai/Megfigyelők/Osservaturi/Waarnemers/Obserwatorzy/Observadores/Observatori/Pozorovatelia/ Opazovalci/Tarkkailijat/Observatörer По покана на председателя/por invitación del presidente/na pozvání předsedy/efter indbydelse fra formanden/auf Einladung des Vorsitzenden/Esimehe kutsel/με πρόσκληση του Προέδρου/At the invitation of the Chair(wo)man/Sur l'invitation du président/ Na poziv predsjednika/su invito del presidente/pēc priekšsēdētāja uzaicinājuma/pirmininkui pakvietus/az elnök meghívására/ Fuq stedina taċ-'chairman'/op uitnodiging van de voorzitter/na zaproszenie Przewodniczącego/A convite do Presidente/La invitaţia preşedintelui/na pozvanie predsedu/na povabilo predsednika/puheenjohtajan kutsusta/på ordförandens inbjudan Съвет/Consejo/Rada/Rådet/Rat/Nõukogu/Συμβούλιο/Council/Conseil/Vijeće/Consiglio/Padome/Taryba/Tanács/Kunsill/Raad/ Conselho/Consiliu/Svet/Neuvosto/Rådet (*) Комисия/Comisión/Komise/Kommissionen/Kommission/Euroopa Komisjon/Επιτροπή/Commission/Komisija/Commissione/Bizottság/ Kummissjoni/Commissie/Komisja/Comissão/Comisie/Komisia/Komissio/Kommissionen (*) Colette Seyler (DG Trade) Европейска служба за външна дейност/servicio Europeo de Acción Exterior/Evropská služba pro vnější činnost/ EU-Udenrigstjenesten/Europäischer Auswärtiger Dienst/Euroopa välisteenistus/ευρωπαϊκή Υπηρεσία Εξωτερικής Δράσης/European External Action service/service européen pour l'action extérieure/europska služba za vanjsko djelovanje/servizio europeo per l azione esterna/eiropas Ārējās darbības dienests/europos išorės veiksmų tarnyba/európai Külügyi Szolgálat/Servizz Ewropew għall-azzjoni Esterna/Europese dienst voor extern optreden/europejska Służba Działań Zewnętrznych/Serviço Europeu para a Acção Externa/ Serviciul european pentru acţiune externă/európska služba pre vonkajšiu činnosť/evropska služba za zunanje delovanje/euroopan ulkosuhdehallinto/europeiska avdelningen för yttre åtgärd (*) Raul Fuentes Milani (MENA 2) Други институции/otras instituciones/ostatní orgány a instituce/andre institutioner/andere Organe/Muud institutsioonid/ Άλλα θεσμικά όργανα/other institutions/autres institutions/druge institucije/altre istituzioni/citas iestādes/kitos institucijos/ Más intézmények/istituzzjonijiet oħra/andere instellingen/inne instytucje/outras Instituições/Alte instituţii/iné inštitúcie/muut toimielimet/andra institutioner/organ PV\ EN.docx 5/7 PE v01.00

6 Други участници/otros participantes/ostatní účastníci/endvidere deltog/andere Teilnehmer/Muud osalejad/επίσης Παρόντες/Other participants/autres participants/drugi sudionici/altri partecipanti/citi klātesošie/kiti dalyviai/más résztvevők/parteċipanti ohra/andere aanwezigen/inni uczestnicy/outros participantes/alţi participanţi/iní účastníci/drugi udeleženci/muut osallistujat/övriga deltagare Israeli Mission: Michal Weiler-Tal, Nicolas Servaranckx. Секретариат на политическите групи/secretaría de los Grupos políticos/sekretariát politických skupin/gruppernes sekretariat/ Sekretariat der Fraktionen/Fraktsioonide sekretariaat/γραμματεία των Πολιτικών Ομάδων/Secretariats of political groups/secrétariat des groupes politiques/tajništva klubova zastupnika/segreteria gruppi politici/politisko grupu sekretariāts/frakcijų sekretoriai/ Képviselőcsoportok titkársága/segretarjat gruppi politiċi/fractiesecretariaten/sekretariat Grup Politycznych/Secr. dos grupos políticos/secretariate grupuri politice/sekretariát politických skupín/sekretariat političnih skupin/poliittisten ryhmien sihteeristöt/ Gruppernas sekretariat PPE S&D ECR ALDE Verts/ALE GUE/NGL EFDD ENF NI Alexandra Entrena Rovers Jorgen Siil, Zoltan Simon Elise Coolegem, Raphaël Fisera, Ines Fernandez del Cotero, Lasse Petersen Myriam Losa Analea Pigne Кабинет на председателя/gabinete del Presidente/Kancelář předsedy/formandens Kabinet/Kabinett des Präsidenten/Presidendi kantselei/γραφείο Προέδρου/President's Office/Cabinet du Président/Ured predsjednika/gabinetto del Presidente/Priekšsēdētāja kabinets/pirmininko kabinetas/elnöki hivatal/kabinett tal-president/kabinet van de Voorzitter/Gabinet Przewodniczącego/Gabinete do Presidente/Cabinet Preşedinte/Kancelária predsedu/urad predsednika/puhemiehen kabinetti/talmannens kansli Кабинет на генералния секретар/gabinete del Secretario General/Kancelář generálního tajemníka/generalsekretærens Kabinet/ Kabinett des Generalsekretärs/Peasekretäri büroo/γραφείο Γενικού Γραμματέα/Secretary-General's Office/Cabinet du Secrétaire général/ured glavnog tajnika/gabinetto del Segretario generale/ģenerālsekretāra kabinets/generalinio sekretoriaus kabinetas/ Főtitkári hivatal/kabinett tas-segretarju Ġenerali/Kabinet van de secretaris-generaal/gabinet Sekretarza Generalnego/Gabinete do Secretário-Geral/Cabinet Secretar General/Kancelária generálneho tajomníka/urad generalnega sekretarja/pääsihteerin kabinetti/ Generalsekreterarens kansli EN PE v /7 PV\ EN.docx

7 Генерална дирекция/dirección General/Generální ředitelství/generaldirektorat/generaldirektion/peadirektoraat/γενική Διεύθυνση/ Directorate-General/Direction générale/glavna uprava/direzione generale/ģenerāldirektorāts/generalinis direktoratas/főigazgatóság/ Direttorat Ġenerali/Directoraten-generaal/Dyrekcja Generalna/Direcção-Geral/Direcţii Generale/Generálne riaditeľstvo/generalni direktorat/pääosasto/generaldirektorat DG PRES DG IPOL DG EXPO DG EPRS DG COMM DG PERS DG INLO DG TRAD DG INTE DG FINS DG ITEC DG SAFE François Massoulié, Kadri Paris Правна служба/servicio Jurídico/Právní služba/juridisk Tjeneste/Juristischer Dienst/Õigusteenistus/Νομική Υπηρεσία/Legal Service/ Service juridique/pravna služba/servizio giuridico/juridiskais dienests/teisės tarnyba/jogi szolgálat/servizz legali/juridische Dienst/ Wydział prawny/serviço Jurídico/Serviciu Juridic/Právny servis/oikeudellinen yksikkö/rättstjänsten Секретариат на комисията/secretaría de la comisión/sekretariát výboru/udvalgssekretariatet/ausschusssekretariat/komisjoni sekretariaat/γραμματεία επιτροπής/committee secretariat/secrétariat de la commission/tajništvo odbora/segreteria della commissione/ Komitejas sekretariāts/komiteto sekretoriatas/a bizottság titkársága/segretarjat tal-kumitat/commissiesecretariaat/sekretariat komisji/ Secretariado da comissão/secretariat comisie/sekretariat odbora/valiokunnan sihteeristö/utskottssekretariatet Aneta Popescu-Black. Сътрудник/Asistente/Asistent/Assistent/Assistenz/Βοηθός/Assistant/Assistente/Palīgs/Padėjėjas/Asszisztens/Asystent/Pomočnik/ Avustaja/Assistenter Barbara Ajmi. * (P) = Председател/Presidente/Předseda/Formand/Vorsitzender/Esimees/Πρόεδρος/Chair(wo)man/Président/Predsjednik/Priekšsēdētājs/ Pirmininkas/Elnök/'Chairman'/Voorzitter/Przewodniczący/Preşedinte/Predseda/Predsednik/Puheenjohtaja/Ordförande (VP) = Заместник-председател/Vicepresidente/Místopředseda/Næstformand/Stellvertretender Vorsitzender/Aseesimees/Αντιπρόεδρος/ Vice-Chair(wo)man/Potpredsjednik/Vice-Président/Potpredsjednik/Priekšsēdētāja vietnieks/pirmininko pavaduotojas/alelnök/ Viċi 'Chairman'/Ondervoorzitter/Wiceprzewodniczący/Vice-Presidente/Vicepreşedinte/Podpredseda/Podpredsednik/ Varapuheenjohtaja/Vice ordförande (M) = Член/Miembro/Člen/Medlem./Mitglied/Parlamendiliige/Μέλος/Member/Membre/Član/Membro/Deputāts/Narys/Képviselő/ Membru/Lid/Członek/Membro/Membru/Člen/Poslanec/Jäsen/Ledamot (F) = Длъжностно лице/funcionario/úředník/tjenestemand/beamter/ametnik/υπάλληλος/official/fonctionnaire/dužnosnik/ Funzionario/Ierēdnis/Pareigūnas/Tisztviselő/Uffiċjal/Ambtenaar/Urzędnik/Funcionário/Funcţionar/Úradník/Uradnik/Virkamies/ Tjänsteman PV\ EN.docx 7/7 PE v01.00