This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002755 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO USTR: ESAUMS AND SDONNELLY 
COMMERCE FOR N.WEIGLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ETRD IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL TO SIGN AGREEMENT WITH EUROPEAN STANDARDS 
ORGANIZATIONS 
 
 
¶1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified, please 
protect accordingly.  Not for internet distribution. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary: In a July 2 meeting with EconCouns and 
EmbOffs, Israeli officials notified the USG of their intent 
to sign agreements with two European standards organizations, 
the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the 
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization 
(CENELEC).  At the same time, the GOI requested reexamination 
of two pending requests for agreements with the USG in the 
fields of telecommunications and pharmaceuticals.  End 
summary. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor's 
(MOITAL) Director of the Foreign Trade Administration Boaz 
Hirsch, Director of International Agreements Yair Shiran, and 
Commissioner for Standardization joined by the Standards 
Institution of Israel's (SII) Director of the Standardization 
Divison, Michael Wolf, met July 2 with EconCouns and EmbOffs 
to update the USG on the status of GOI negotiations with 
European standards organizations CEN and CENELEC.  Hirsch 
began the meeting by telling EconCouns that he understands 
that the issue of standardization is "sensitive" for the U.S. 
and he looks forward to resuming negotiations on Mutual 
Recognition Agreements (MRAs) on telecoms and pharmaceuticals. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Wolf explained that his recent negotiations with CEN 
focused on the difficulties that Israel would experience with 
the U.S. if required to adopt European Standards as the only 
national standard for Israel.  At the same time Wolf said 
that Israeli industry is lobbying the SII to sign an 
agreement with CEN, so it can participate in the development 
of standards in fields, such as irrigation systems, where 
Israel has an active interest in exporting to Europe.  Wolf 
explained that there is a "gentleman's agreement" with CEN 
that would allow Israel to adopt "mutually equivalent" 
standards in parallel to the CEN standard, citing "national 
deviations."  The document that Wolf provided as a template 
of the agreement he plans to sign with CEN is an un-revised 
copy of the partnership standardization bodies agreement, 
available on the CEN website. 
 
¶5. (SBU) EconCouns reminded Wolf that the U.S. standard 
developing organizations have offered assistance and 
cooperation in the past, and that it would be hard to explain 
the GOI's commitment to funding participation in European 
standards organizations, but unwillingness to purchase U.S. 
standards.  Hirsch clarified that the funding for involvement 
in CEN and CENELEC will come mostly from private sector 
participants. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Wolf said that SII negotiations with CENELEC had not 
resulted in the same flexibility as with CEN.  CENELEC is 
adamant that participants adopt as the national standard the 
CENELEC standards for all technical bodies in which they 
participate.  Wolf said that he believes SII will be able to 
participate only in the working group level of CENELEC 
technical committees, thus limiting the number of standards 
it is required to adopt. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Wolfe said that Israel and the SII will sign 
agreements with CEN and CENELEC by the end of the year.  He 
said that Israel is likely to participate in the irrigation, 
homeland security and intelligent transport systems (ITS) 
subcommittees of CEN and in the cable committee of CENELEC. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: While this is the first time that SII 
negotiations of an agreement with CENELEC have been relayed 
to the USG, the GOI has been looking for a way to engage with 
CEN for the last two years.  Given that post is not aware of 
any case in which the GOI has formally adopted more than one 
international standard to help U.S. exporters, post is 
unclear how Wolf's proposed "gentleman's agreement" with CEN 
to allow for the adoption of "mutually equivalent" standards 
will help U.S. exporters.  To date a committee of U.S. 
exporters, the Embassy, the SII, and the MOITAL has been able 
to negotiate "waivers" for U.S. products which do not meet 
the Israeli national standard on a case-by-case basis.  It is 
unclear if the adoption of CEN standards as the national 
standard would harm this limited "work-around" solution.  End 
comment. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Action request: Post requests information, from 
relevant USG agencies, on the potential impact for U.S. 
exporters of the decision by SII and the GOI to sign 
agreements with CEN and CENELEC, especially regarding 
participation in the specific subcommittees named above. 
 
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JONES