. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/ISR/570 
28 February 2012  
 (12-1133) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member:  ISRAEL  
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  Israel WTO-TBT Enquiry Point 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :   
Israel WTO-TBT Enquiry Point  
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor Tel:  + (972) 3 7347502 Fax:  +(972) 3 7347626 E-mail:  Yael.Friedgut@moital.gov.il  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Plywood (ICS: 79.060.10; 
HS: 4412 and 9403). 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Plywood: Batten 
plywood panels (5 pages in Hebrew). 
6. Description of content:  Second amendment to the Mandatory Standard SI 37 part 2. This 
amendment adopts the European requirements for formaldehyde content and amends the 
following:  
- Changes the standard's scope appearing in paragraph 101 to apply to plywood made 
 of external layers and different moulding fillings, which may include internal layers. 
- Amends the normative re ferences appearing in pa ragraph 102 by removing the 
 reference to the German Standard DI N 52368-1984 and to its gas analysis method, 
 and instead refers to the European St andard EN 712-2: November 1994 + AC: July 
 2002. 
- Replaces the definitions of a layer a nd a filling appearing in paragraph 103.  
- The acclimation requirement appearing in the European Standard was not adopted, as 
 this requirement is designed for plywoo d manufacturers who do not exist in Israel. 
 All plywood in Israel is imported; therefor e such tests are not applicable and have 
 heavy financial implications. G/TBT/N/ISR/570 
Page 2  
 
  - Replaces paragraph 207 dealing with the am ount of released formaldehyde. The new 
 paragraph instructs as follows: 
- To perform a repeat test according to the European requireme nts appearing in EN 
 712-2, only in cases of marginal or non-compliance.    
- To calculate an average as a criterion instead of the highest result used in the old 
 standard. 
- The amount of released formaldehyde in  regular plywood shall not exceed 8mg per 
 m
2 per hour. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of human health.  
8. Relevant documents:    
- Mandatory Standard SI 37 part 2 (June  1985) and its Amendment 1 (August 1995). 
- European Standard EN 717-2: November 1994 + AC: July 2002. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    To be determined 
Generally 60 days after publication in the Official Gazette, Se ction of Government 
Notices. 
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from date of notification 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresse s, if available of the other body:  
http://www2.moital.gov.il/cmstama t/rsrc/tkina/SI37Part2Amd2.pdf