Israeli settlement goods should be labeled – senior adviser to EU top court

A senior adviser to the EU’s top court said on Thursday that products from Israeli-occupied territories must be clearly labeled as such to avoid misleading consumers.

The European Court of Justice is not obliged to follow the Advocate General Gerard Hogan’s legal advice. However, the former Irish judge’s legal opinions are seen as highly influential in the bench’s deliberations, AFP said.

The ECJ is considering a request from France’s top tribunal for clarification of rules on labeling goods from the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as the Golan Heights, which Israel took from Syria in 1967.

Hogan said the EU rules on labeling products take into account “ethical considerations” that might influence a consumer’s purchases.