The advocate general's non-binding opinion, if followed, could mean that goods produced in the territories may be saddled with full customs duties.

The opinion, submitted in a case in Germany brought by water purification firm Brita in 2002, could serve as a precedent in the EU. The company was ordered to pay 19,155 euros in customs for equipment it imported from the Israeli firm Soda Club, whose factory is in the West Bank.

Click for complete article by Ora Coren, Haaretz, 3rd November 2009