. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/ISR/569 
28 February 2012  
 (12-1132) 
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: Plain 
plywood (4 pages in Hebrew). 
6. Description of content:  6th amendment to the Mandatory Standard SI 37 part 1. This 
amendment adopts the European requirements  for formaldehyde content and adds the 
following:  
- 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. 
- The acclimation requirement appearing in the European Standard was not adopted, as 
 this requirement is intended for plywood manufacturers who do no t exist in Israel. 
 All plywood in Israel is imported; therefor e such tests are not applicable and have 
 heavy financial implications. 
- Adds to paragraph 107.6, a requirement for specific marking for formwork plywood.  
- Replaces paragraph 207 dealing with the am ount of released formaldehyde. The new 
 paragraph instructs as follows: G/TBT/N/ISR/569 
Page 2  
 
  - 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 final criterio n instead of employing the highest result, as 
 was used in the old standard. 
- The amount of released formaldehyde in  regular plywood shall not exceed 8mg per 
 m2 per hour. 
- The amount of released formaldehyde in formwork plywood shall not exceed 20mg 
 per m2 per hour, as long as it is marked according to paragraph 107.6. 
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 1 (July 1985) and its Amendment 1 (February 1989), 
 Amendment 2 (June 1990), Amendment 3 (September 1995), Amendment 4 (June  2000) and Amendment 5 (March 2006). 
- 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/SI37Part1Amd6.pdf