These past few weeks, several statements have been made regarding the EU guidelines on settlement products adopted on 11 November 2015, namely the EU decision to label products that are imported from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. These statements are particularly troubling as they cause damage to the image of the EU, which has to speak with one voice on the international scene. The EU position regarding the Middle East has always been clear and has been reiterated in the Council conclusions of 18 January 2016: “settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible”. This position has always been the one of the European Parliament, which has unequivocally...