The directive, referred by the EU as an "interpretive notice," was announced during a European Commission meeting in Brussels.
The guidelines refer to the "origin of goods from the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967," a Commission statement said. Those include East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and the West Bank. The EU considers Israel's settlements in these areas to be illegal under international law.
Israel's Foreign Ministry swiftly condemned the decision, calling it an "exceptional and discriminatory step, inspired by the boycott movement, particularly at this time, when Israel is confronting a wave of terrorism targeting any and all of its citizens."
"It is puzzling and even irritating that the EU chooses to apply a double standard concerning Israel, while ignoring that there are over 200 other territorial disputes worldwide, including those occurring within the EU or on its doorstep. The claim that this is a technical matter is cynical and baseless," the ministry said.
The European Commission said the initiative is "not new legislation, it clarifies certain elements linked to the interpretation and the effective implementation of existing EU legislation." It will apply on a mandatory basis mostly to fruits and vegetables. The majority of industrial products are exempt.
EU trade with Israel was valued at about $32 billion in 2014. The Commission said that products made on Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories were less than 1% of total trade. Some EU nations, such as Belgium, Britain and Denmark, already use the labels.
The Commission said the labels do not amount to or form part of a first step toward sanctions against Israel and that the "indication of origin will give consumers the possibility to make an informed choice."
The guidelines nevertheless appear to highlight that the EU is seeking to formally distinguish its policy on how it deals with Israel and its settlements that Palestinians say comrpise its future state but Israel continues to expand on.
Israel summoned the EU's ambassador after the announcement. Speaking to journalists Tuesday night, Yuvak Steinitz, an Israeli cabinet minister, referred to the expected decision as "disguised anti-semitism."
"What you see is really that some people, and here unfortunately some institutions in the European Union, are taking steps against Israel that are unparalleled in similar situations," Steinitz said.
The European Jewish Press, a Brussels-headquartered news outlet, quoted an unnamed Israeli official as saying the guidelines were "clearly discrimination against the Jewish State because EU boycotts do not apply to Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara, Turkish occupied northern Cyprus or China controlled Tibet.’’
The Palestine Liberation Organization said the labeling was a "step in the right direction but insufficient," adding that "products of a war crime must be banned not just labeled." Separately, Valdis Dombrovskis, a senior EU official, said Wednesday's expected decision was a purely "technical one, not a political stance."
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