“Made in Settlements”! Il consumatore europeo deve sapere se i beni sono prodotti in un territorio palestinese occupato da Israele

In the case discussed in this comment (Case C-363/18, Organisation juive européenne e Vignoble Psagot Ltd c. Ministre de l’Économie et des Finances) the Court of Justice has ruled that goods originating from an Israeli settlement situated in a Palestinian occupied ter- ritory must contain that specific origin in their label. In the judgment, the Court has had the opportunity to deal with the people’s right to self-determination and ensures that the Union respects it, in line with the principle that the Union contributes to the strict observance and development of international law. At the heart of the Court’s conclusions is the protection of the European consumer, who is potentially sensitive to various issues, including the vio- lation of international law by Israel in the settlements of the occupied territories. Thus, the Court has had the chance to reaffirm that the Union respects international law. However, this time, it has taken a clearer and more convincing statement than in the past, taking a stand, in the context of the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict, against the recognition of the legitimacy of the settlements.