EU says Israeli settlement label decision 'technical not political'

(BRUSSELS) - The EU insisted Wednesday that a decision to label products from Israeli settlements was taken for legal reasons relating to the origins of goods and was not a political stance, after Israel condemned it as politically motivated.

"This is a technical issue not a political stance," European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis told journalists after the commission, the 28-nation bloc's powerful executive arm, approved the labelling.

"The EU does not support in any form a boycott or sanctions against Israel."

Dombrovskis said the labelling decision was related to consumer policy in the European Union, the world's biggest economy with a combined population of over 500 million.

"The Commission is providing guidance to the EU member states and economic operators to ensure the uniform application of the rules on indication of origins of Israeli settlement produce," he said.

He said the EU decision "is not a new legislation or new policy, it clarifies certain elements linked to the interpretation and effective implementation of the existing EU legislation."