Ministerial commission approves proposal to give preference to European standards in imports

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting of the ministerial committee on combating high cost of living today, July 4, at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. At the beginning of the meeting, the Prime Minister and the ministers were presented with the status of the progress of the law on the adoption of European standards, “What’s good for Europe is good for Israel.”

The committee recently approved the “What’s good for Europe is good for Israel” reform in the food, cosmetics and electrical goods sectors. The relevant law is currently being prepared for the second and third readings in the Knesset and is expected to be passed before the end of the current session.

The committee unanimously approved a proposal by Prime Minister Netantyagu, Economy Minister Barkat and Finance Minister Smotrich, according to which European standards would for the first time be applied automatically and take precedence over any existing Israeli standard.

The legislation will allow the import of dozens of consumer goods, such as diapers, washing powders, dishwashing liquids, computers, home appliances, mobile phones, televisions, computers, kitchen appliances and stoves, strollers and cots, toys, washing machines and dryers, dishes and ceramics, cleaning pastes, lamps and much more. At the same time, existing restrictions on the use of these products in construction, industry and other sectors will be lifted.

Netanyahu noted that the passage of such a law would mean the de facto opening of the market to competition, which should lead to lower prices.