World Bulletin/News Desk

Denmark is planning to ban labeling products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank as "Made in Israel," the foreign minister told Danish media on Saturday. The move follows reports of similar plans announced this month by South Africa's government.

"This is a move that will clearly show consumers that this produce has been produced under conditions that not only the Danish government, but also the European governments have rejected," Danish Foreign Minister Villy Sovndal was quoted as saying by Danish online news-site Politken.   "Then it is up to consumers whether they are prepared to buy the produce," he added.  

Yesterday, South Africa also announced that goods produced in Israeli settlements will carry special labels. The directive will come into effect on July 1. In the directive, Minister of Trade and Industry Dr. Rob Davies stated that the decision, under the Consumer Protection Act was intended "not incorrectly label products that originate from the Occupied Palestinian Territory as products of Israel." The directive explicitly mentioned Ahava cosmetics, technology, and soft drinks.

The Danish and South African moves come one month after The Co-operative Group, one of the UK's major food retailers, announced a boycott against four Israeli companies - Agrexco, Arava Export Growers, Adafresh Ltd. and Mehadrin Tnuport Export LP.

The attempts to limit the export of settlement produce to Europe were led in the past by the European Union and the British government. In 2009, the British government, at the express instructions of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, issued guidelines to retailers on clear labeling of produce made in settlements, differentiating it from Palestinian produce and products that were made within the Green Line. These guidelines followed Israeli refusals to label settlement products before being exported to the EU.