The Federation of Consumers and Users CECU and the Coordinator of Organizations of Farmers and Ranchers (COAG) have filed a complaint with the General Directorate of Consumption of the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption, and Agenda 2030 to clarify whether products from illegally occupied Palestinian territories are being imported and marketed in Spain, which would be presented in the market as originating from Israel.
In their statement, both organizations focus on fruits and vegetables that are labeled as Israeli, but which, according to the evidence provided, could actually originate from occupied areas, which would imply a possible violation of Royal Decree-Law 10/2025. This regulation expressly prohibits the entry into Spain of goods from those territories if their origin is not accurately reflected in the labeling, a point that, if evaded, would have allowed their marketing in the main Spanish supermarket chains, according to the statement released.
The complaint is based on the conclusions of the report "Importing the Occupation," prepared by the litigation center Global Echo after four years of work, as well as a recent journalistic investigation by the newspaper "Público." Both works indicate that in recent years Spain has established itself as one of the most relevant European markets for certain food products from Israel.
According to the cited data, in 2025 Spain purchased 43,825 tons of potatoes for an amount of 26.59 million euros and around 2,900 tons of dates for about 17 million euros. Furthermore, fruits, vegetables, and seeds represented 81% of the total Spanish purchases from Israel, reflecting the magnitude of this trade flow.
For CECU and COAG, this volume of imports reinforces the need to ensure rigorous traceability and labeling that accurately indicates the origin of each food. If the suspicions are corroborated, they warn that consumers would be receiving misleading information about the origin of the products, with a possible violation of regulations regarding consumption and labeling.
Both entities also emphasize that such practices would imply "unfair competition" against farmers who comply with European and Spanish legislation regarding production, traceability, and transparency towards the consumer.
The complaint also requests that it be analyzed whether these import operations violate Royal Decree-Law 10/2025, which prohibits the entry into Spain of products originating from Palestinian territories occupied by Israel, as well as the potential use of phytosanitary and ecological certifications that, in light of the evidence provided, may not comply with the requirements of community regulations.
For this reason, CECU and COAG demand that the General Directorate of Consumption deploy its inspection powers to verify the actual origin of these foods, locate the companies that may be involved, and, if irregularities are verified, initiate the corresponding sanctioning files.
The Secretary General of COAG, Andrés Góngora, has demanded that these facts be investigated. "We cannot allow products from occupied territories to be introduced into the Spanish market in a context of genocide that, moreover, may be marketed under a different origin than the real one," he indicated, recalling that this situation represents a "serious distortion of competition" for farmers and ranchers who produce under the demanding European standards.
The director of CECU, David Sánchez Carpio, has pointed out that "transparency is essential for each person to be able to exercise informed consumption in accordance with their values, especially when it comes to products from illegally occupied Palestinian territories." "That is why we demand a thorough investigation and strict compliance with current legislation," he urged.