In a statement announcing the move, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry noted a 2019 ruling by the European Union’s highest court requiring products from these areas to be labeled as coming from an “Israeli settlement”. “Food coming from areas occupied by Israel must be marked with the area where the product comes from and that it comes from an Israeli settlement, if that is the case,” the statement said. fruits, vegetables and potatoes. “ “Norway considers Israeli settlements in the occupied territories to be contrary to international law,” he added. Norway is not a member of the EU, but is part of the European Single Market. It is also part of the European Free Trade Association, a four-nation organization that signed a free trade agreement with Israel in 1992. Get the Times of Israel Daily E-mail and never miss our top stories By registering, you agree to the terms The Israeli Foreign Ministry denounced Norway’s decision, saying “it will not contribute to the promotion of Israeli-Palestinian ties and will negatively affect the bilateral ties between Israel and Norway, as well as the importance of Norway in promoting relations between Israel and Israel.” and Palestinians. ” A State Department spokesman said Israel’s position was “also clear” on the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, but said the West Bank was “commercially relevant”. In contrast to the West Bank, Israel has annexed both the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem in moves that are not widely recognized internationally. Israeli workers inspect barrels at a winery in the West Bank village of Psagot, February 11, 2014. (AP Photo / Dan Balilty) Along with the 2019 ruling, the European Commission – the EU’s executive arm – enacted regulations in 2015 banning the labeling of products from areas it considers to be occupied by Israel as taken in Israel, a ruling that gave consumers the right to know the origin products. However, most European countries do not follow the EU directive, although France and Belgium have imposed labeling requirements. The issue has long been a hotbed of Israeli diplomacy. Former US President Donald Trump, at the end of his presidency, issued a decree requiring products from settlements to be labeled in the US as originating in Israel. Previously, US policy required that products manufactured in the West Bank be labeled as such. The Associated Press contributed to this report. It is not (only) for you. Times of Israel support is not a transaction for an online service such as subscribing to Netflix. The ToI community is reaching out to people like you who are interested in a common good: ensuring that Israel’s balanced, responsible coverage continues to be available to millions around the world, free of charge. We’re sure to remove all ads from your page and give you access to some amazing community-only content. But your support gives you something deeper than that: the pride of being involved in something that really matters. Join the community Times of Israel Join our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it You are a devoted reader We’re really glad you read the X Times of Israel articles last month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide demanding readers like you with the coverage they need to read about Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we have not created a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom the Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel. For just $ 6 a month you can support our quality journalism by enjoying Times of Israel WITHOUT ADVERTISING, as well as access to exclusive content available only to members of the Times of Israel Community. Thanks, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of the Times of Israel Subscribe to our community Subscribe to our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it