ISRAEL PASSES STRONG NEW ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001845 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/ENV, EEB/EPPD-JMUDGE AND NEA/AIA EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL - METCALF USDA FOR FAS/ICD/RSED AMMAN FOR ESTH - BHALLA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV ENRG TBIO IS SUBJECT: ISRAEL PASSES STRONG NEW ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION Ref: (A) Tel Aviv 195 (B)Tel Aviv 613 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY. During the legislative session that concluded in July, Israel's parliament (Knesset) passed several new laws significantly strengthening environmental regulation. These included a Clean Air Act, a "Polluter Pays" law, and a stronger enforcement law. Israel's business, academic and NGO communities all hailed the measures as positive, despite the costs they will likely impose. The government's ability to protect the environment and prosecute infractions will be much stronger once the laws are fully implemented. Implementation will be essential to Israel's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),and may be the greatest hurdle the GOI will face in joining the OECD. Securing the resources and budget to implement the new measures will be a challenge, as will moving the Israeli population toward a more environmentalist perspective supporting such action. End Summary. Years in the Making -------------- ¶2. (U) In a fit of activism in the final weeks of its legislative session, the Knesset approved several notable laws that greatly strengthened environmental protection in Israel. On July 22, Israel's first Clean Air Law was passed. First introduced in 2005, the new law will revolutionize how air quality hazards are dealt with in Israel. The law adds teeth to the Ministry for Environmental Protection (MEP) capabilities, including setting emissions standards, controlling vehicular pollution, and monitoring air quality. The law requires the 150 most polluting corporations to apply for permits (for a fee) from the MEP for their emissions; this is supposed to enable the GOI to press for reductions over time, and encourage the introduction of the best available environmental technology by companies. The MEP is also required to formulate a national plan for reduction of air pollution. ¶3. (U) Although Israel's Clean Air Act will not come into effect until January 2011, it legitimates and better structures activities the GOI is already undertaking. Environment Minister Gideon Ezra had, in fact, lobbied against the legislation in previous weeks, not wanting to see the Ministry take on obligations far beyond its resources to implement. He endorsed the law once its passage appeared inevitable, however. One Ministry official acknowledged to the media that the institution will need billions of shekels and 34 more professional staff to handle the increased responsibilities, such as issuing permits. ¶4. (U) Separately, on July 30, the Knesset unanimously passed a law detailing a list of new penalties and financial sanctions against businesses found guilty of environmental law infractions. The "Polluter Pays" legislation allows fines up to 300,000 shekels (USD 86,000) for individuals and 2.4 million shekels (USD 686 million) for corporations that pollute. Most important, it imposes the requirement that the polluter restore the environment to the status quo ante, and can levy a fine equal to the economic advantage the polluter gained through his or her infraction. Where polluters fail to correct the situation, the government can address the damage, such as an oil spill, and charge the polluter double the cost of remediation. ¶5. (U) The Knesset also approved an Environmental Enforcement Law. Heretofore, only the central government had the authority to enforce most environmental laws, and it also collected the associated fines from offenders. Under the new law, local authorities will now be authorized to enforce these laws, and the income they receive from the associated fines will serve as an incentive to strongly enforce environmental laws within their jurisdictions. Bills discouraging use of plastic bags, reducing water use, and saving energy in government buildings also passed the first reading in the chamber, though are not yet final. Knesset members claimed that this was the "greenest" Knesset ever, approving more environmental legislation than in the previous 60 years of Israel's parliament. Supported By Many Sides -------------- ¶6. (U) Despite the far-reaching impact of these new laws, they were adopted with solid support across the business, academic, and NGO communities. Although Israel's national Green party is not represented in the Knesset, several Knesset members (MKs) are nationally known for their strong environmental stands. Dov Khenin (Hadash - Arab/Jewish left wing party) and Michael Melchior (Labor-Meimad) often reflect environment lobby views, and were among the 19 MKs who signed on as sponsors of the polluter pays law, and the fact it was unanimously approved by the body indicates broad support for the bill. The NGO community had spent years encouraging such legislation; the Clear Air Law was actually drafted with the help of the Israel Union for Environmental Defense, the country's leading environmental NGO. The Union's Executive Director, while very pleased with legislative outcome of the session, cautioned that implementation of the new laws would be the critical test of commitment by parliament. ¶7. (SBU) Arie Nesher, Director of Tel Aviv University's School of Environmental Studies called the legislation a good sign of change in Israeli society's environmental consciousness. Regarding environmental problems, he noted, Israel faces problems that cannot be dealt with in isolation; pollution and global warming require coordinated international action. Nonetheless, he said, Israel is still dominated by tactical, short-term thinking, and rarely takes a long-term view with strategic objectives in mind. The test would be getting the funds to fully implement the provisions of the new legislation. The business sector response to the raft of environmental legislation was positive, perhaps because of the long-term program perspective the new laws promote. A spokesman for the Manufacturers Association of Israel supported the Clean Air bill, while acknowledging it will impose costs. "It won't be easy, but it's important that we have a timetable that will allow us to prepare. We need a planning horizon so we'll know what demands are being made and how to prepare for them." The Crucial Test: Money -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Comment: The bottom line assessment of any legislation is its application, and all sides in Israel reserve judgment on this score. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Economic contacts tell us that finding the money and staff to be fully compliant with environmental standards will be Israel's greatest challenge in acceding to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Given the pre-eminence the GOI traditionally places on defense issues, and the rebuke the Finance Minister has garnered for the marginal cuts he proposed in the 2009 government budget presented August 17, it is hard to envision the Knesset doling out the funds needed to fully implement all the environmental legislation newly passed. Israeli society, too, is less aware of environmental issues, and has not shown great will to pay for them; the GOI has had to undertake a major awareness campaign to sensitize the public to the current water shortage, for example. Nonetheless, Israel has a small but vocal and growing constituency demanding environmental protection. When it reconvenes in October, the Knesset budget debate may cast a long shadow on Israel's future ability to address its environmental problems. CUNNINGHAM