General Standards
The Standards Institution of Israel (SII) is the country's main body which develops and determines standards. The agency's responsibilities include the preparation and publication of technical specifications and standards for locally produced or imported products. The SII incorporates standardization, testing, conformity assessment, product certification and management system under the same roof. The Standards Institution of Israel has laboratories in various technological areas. It provides testing and inspection services to industry and commerce, including regulatory services to government.
The General Assembly represents the principal body of the SII. The Assembly consists of 70 members from these sectors: manufacturing, construction, commerce, services, trade, consumers, engineering associations, universities and government.
The SII’s Standardization Division regulates the development of standards through the intermediary of hundreds of standardization committees, including volunteer representatives from all sectors of the Israeli economy. The adoption of Israeli standards is voluntary, however, standards may be declared mandatory by the relevant government ministry in the interest of public health and safety or protection of the environment.
On the international level, the SII represents Israel in two international standards organizations: the International Organization for Standards (ISO) and the International Electromechanical Commission (IEC). The SII is also affiliated of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electro technical Standardization (CENELEC).
Conformity Assessment
The unique authority for conformity assessment in Israel is the Standards Institution of Israel.
Product Certification
Product certification programs in Israel are operated by the SII. There is a voluntary Standards Mark, however the country's law requests certain classes of products to be certified before they are sold. To qualify for the Standards Mark, a product must conform to the requirements of the applicable standard, and be manufactured in accordance with an approved quality assurance system, such as ISO 9002.
The Standards Mark Board appoints technical committees to perform tests and quality assessment reports. The committees then report the results to the Licensing Committee, which is responsible for granting or canceling a license. Once a license is issued, a follow-up inspection and a quality assurance review is performed. Inspections are performed by laboratory employees and certified auditors. Samples of the product are taken several times a year to insure continuous compliance of the product with the relevant standard or standards.
Accreditation
The Israel Laboratory Accreditation Authority (ISRAC) is the country's unique agency internationally and legally recognized to accredit testing and calibration laboratories according to ISO/IEC 17025 and to recognize laboratories in accordance with the OECD rules of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).
ISRAC accredis laboratories in the areas of food, water, cosmetics, pesticide chemistry, biology, microbiology as well as many calibration, engineering, construction laboratories.
Contacts
The Standards Institution of Israel
Contact person: Mr. Ilan Carmit, Business & Projects Development Manager
Email: carmit@sii.org.il
Tel: +972-3-6467802
Direct: +97237454019
Fax: +972-3-6467779
Contact person: Mrs. Helen Atarot, Director, Standardization Division
Email: atarot@sii.org.il
Tel: +972-3-6465180
Fax: + 972-3-6412762
