Labelling of Israeli products: Laurent Fabius, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, answered Roger Cukierman

In December 2015, the President of CRIF addressed an open letter to Jean-Claude Junker, President of the European Commission, following the decision of the European Union to label certain products manufactured in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. 

 

Roger Cukierman expressed in this letter his concern about a "measure spectacularly discriminating".

 

Roger Cukierman brought this letter to the attention of Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who replied January 21, 2016.

 

"France is opposed to any boycott of Israel. The boycott is also prohibited in French law, whatever the justification or cause it intends to serve," wrote Laurent Fabius.

 

The French Minister, however, said that the products concerned were not entitled to preferential customs regime and that the main goal of the new EU labeling directive was for the customers to know where the products came from.