The European Commission is "very concerned" about Israel's construction of a security barrier across the West Bank, and plans to raise the matter at an EU-Israel meeting next week, a spokesman said Monday.

The EU executive will also broach the issue of Israel's treatment of the EU envoy to the Middle East Marc Otte, who has been boycotted by Israeli leaders since meeting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in early October.

"We are very concerned about the present routing and proposed routing" of the barrier, "because the current routing is not just on Israeli territory," said Emma Udwin, spokesman for EU external relations commissioner Chris Patten.

Israel claims the barrier is vital to prevent infiltrations by West Bank militants, but the Palestinians argue that the fence, which cuts deep into the territory, is aimed at predetermining the borders of their future state and driving them out of fertile areas.

The commission spokesman meanwhile added that Brussels "is following with some concern" the EU envoy's position, adding that he "is finding it difficult to carry out all of (his) duties in the current cicrumstances."

The EU plans to raise the two issues -- the wall and Otte -- at an EU-Israel meeting scheduled for November 18, she said, declining to forecast what exactly the EU will say.

"Being a whole week away from a meeting is quite a long way from a meeting, " she said, adding: "We'll try and sort things out. As things stand we're not thinking in terms of reprisals."