Israel is waging a diplomatic battle to try to prevent the publication next week of Europe-wide guidelines on labelling goods made in the settlements.
While the precise wording of the guidelines is still not clear and may not be completed until hours before the document is published, Israeli politicians and diplomats see any new directive as a setback.
EU efforts to set clear standards for labelling settlement produce have been ongoing for more than seven years.
One of the early backers for such steps was former prime minister Gordon Brown. While Israeli diplomats acknowledge that the prolonged stagnation in the diplomatic process with the Palestinians has renewed EU determination to issue guidelines, the hope is that the directive will not be overly specific or include East Jerusalem as an area that requires flagging up.
