New chemicals management law will enter into force on 1 March 2023 in Israel

The Ministry of Environmental Protection of Israel published a draft of the new chemicals management law, which will enter into force on the 1st of March 2023. The manufacturers and importers of chemicals to Israel will have to register their products (exceeding the limit of 10 tonnes per year) similarly to their registration in the European REACH regulation. The deadline for registration will be 1st September 2024.

The proposed law has three major components:

1. Creation of an existing chemical inventory which will require the submission of minimal information on chemicals produced or imported in Israel at quantities greater than 10 tonnes per year. This will include the chemical identities and selected physical properties, quantities, and uses.

2. Risk assessment performed on selected chemicals according to criteria proposed in the new law. The risk assessment will factor in existing assessments and recommendations for the regulation of chemicals elsewhere in the world such as Europe, the USA, and Australia.

3. Risk management by establishing limits or prohibitions to reduce the risk from exposure to the identified chemicals either from the production process or the daily use through the disposal at the end of its chemical life cycle.

The law will distinguish between two types of chemicals: existing and new. For the new chemicals manufactured or imported into Israel, the Israeli entity responsible for handling said chemical will have to register it 30 days prior to its manufacture or importation.

The law will establish exceptions from the regulation – for example, substances of natural origin or polymers.