חוק מקורות אנרגיה (תיקון מס' 2), התשפ"א-2020Energy Sources Law (Amendment No. 2), 2020 · automatic translation · suggest a correction

Official summary of the law (Knesset)

Energy Sources Law (Amendment No. 2), 2020 (hereinafter – the Amendment), was approved in second and third reading on 30 November 2020. The Amendment is intended to ease the import of electrical products into Israel by reducing the regulatory and bureaucratic burden imposed on importers of electrical appliances during the import process. The existing legal provisions state that an importer of electrical products is required to submit the products for testing at the Standards Institute or at a laboratory authorized for this purpose, for a dual preliminary test examining the device's compliance with safety standards and its energy efficiency in accordance with Ministry of Energy guidelines. The Amendment authorizes the Minister of Energy to determine by regulations the types of electrical appliances to which the relief measures replacing the existing legal requirements will apply, so that a manufacturer or importer will be able to declare, via an online system, that the prototype of the electrical appliance meets the energy efficiency requirements that will also be set by regulations, and to undertake to comply with instructions from the supervisor at the Ministry of Energy if required. This declaration will replace the need to obtain the supervisor's approval for importing the device, which is currently conditional on the laboratory testing described above. In addition, the Amendment provides that the importer and manufacturer shall be required to retain documents proving the electrical appliance's compliance with the energy efficiency requirements for a period of at least seven years. Likewise, the Minister of Energy will determine by regulations the energy rating for each appliance and the overall energy rating scale, that is, the range of energy ratings. These regulations will be enacted with regard to standards accepted in advanced countries and with the aim of promoting energy conservation, reducing electricity demand and reducing air pollution. The regulations concerning energy efficiency and the energy rating scale will be enacted in consultation with the Minister of Environmental Protection. The Amendment further provides that importers and manufacturers will be required to display an electrical appliance for marketing with the energy rating label determined for the appliance at the time of approval, which will be affixed to the appliance, in order to inform consumers of its degree of energy efficiency. In addition, the energy rating of an electrical appliance will also be displayed in any advertisement for the appliance as well as during distance marketing (marketing conducted without the parties being present, such as marketing over the internet). The Amendment also establishes the powers of the supervisor at the Ministry of Energy regarding the issuance of instructions to an importer or manufacturer due to an electrical appliance's failure to meet energy efficiency requirements or due to an incorrect energy rating. The supervisor at the Ministry of Energy will be granted broad powers to take various actions against an importer, manufacturer or marketer of an electrical appliance that fails to meet the requirements of the law, including halting marketing, collecting appliances marketed without an energy label, and imposing financial sanctions. However, enforcement powers regarding distance marketing as described above will be granted to the Commissioner of Consumer Protection and Fair Trade – who is authorized under the Consumer Protection Law, 1981, to enforce a marketer's disclosure obligations in distance marketing. In addition, the Amendment expands the supervisory and enforcement powers of the Ministry of Energy with respect to all provisions of the Energy Sources Law, 1989 (hereinafter – the Law), including the provisions of the Amendment itself. In this context, the Amendment establishes updated provisions regarding criminal enforcement, the authorization of Ministry of Energy inspectors for purposes of the Law, and the supervisor's authority to impose financial sanctions for violations of the Law's provisions or the regulations enacted under it. The Amendment is also accompanied by an indirect amendment to the Economic Plan Law (Legislative Amendments for Implementing the Economic Policy for the 2017 and 2018 Budget Years), 2016, which extends by an additional five years the temporary provision granting an exemption from betterment levy for photovoltaic installations installed on building roofs.

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