Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Last April the Foreign Ministers of Ireland and 15 other EU countries wrote to EU High Representative Mogherini to ask her to restart work on guidelines for the labelling of settlement products. On 11 November the European Commission adopted the formal notice. It underlines that settlement goods may not be labelled as having been made in Israel or simply as having come from the West Bank without making it clear they originate from a settlement.

This applies where origin is indicated. It does not introduce a blanket requirement for origin indication on all goods. No new law is involved; it is a clarification of existing requirements. Already, the measure has been criticised by some in Ireland who say it goes too far, while others say it does not, by any manner or means, go far enough. However, the guidelines are in line with other measures which differentiate the EU's relationship with Israel from the relationship with the settlements. These include the fact that EU research funding may not be spent in settlements, while universities in Israel are in a position to access it and the EU advice warning citizens against any form of continued investment in the settlement areas.

With regard to implementation, as a first step the Secretary General of my Department has already written to the Secretaries General of other Departments drawing their attention to the notice and the import of the guidelines and assuming that all will embark upon the process of implementation, which is ongoing.

On the downing or otherwise of the Russian aeroplane, this is a matter of great concern. The incident is a bilateral matter between Russia and Turkey. It would not be appropriate for me to make any comment. The detail on it is not yet to hand. I assure the committee that it is the belief of the Irish Government, in common with many of our EU colleagues, that this is a time in which great restraint should be exercised by all involved.