Following Calcalist's exposé: The Movement for Quality Government threatens legal action against the Standards Institution

The Movement for Quality Government has appealed to the Standards Institution of Israel demanding an explanation for the delay in updating the Israeli concrete standard, SI 118. According to the Movement, the conduct surrounding the standard creates an import barrier and could significantly increase the costs of the Metro project and construction costs in Israel.

In a letter sent following Calcalist's exposé on the subject, it is claimed that the delay in adopting European standards could cause the Metro project direct budgetary damage of 300-500 million shekels, alongside indirect costs of 190-330 million shekels resulting from the European carbon tax on local cement.

At the heart of the dispute is SI 118, which is defined as an adoption of the European standard. The standard on this subject has not been updated for over 20 years, and as a result, a significant gap has emerged compared to Europe, where 27 different types of cement have been approved. Some types of cement not approved in Israel are classified in the British standard as having better professional performance and being more durable.

The significance is not limited to the Metro. SI 118 is applied as a statutory requirement through planning and building regulations, and therefore, according to the Movement, the delay in updating the standard affects the entire construction industry and prevents the integration of advanced and green building materials. The Movement claims that maintaining the outdated standard strengthens import barriers, reduces competition, and perpetuates high costs for consumers and infrastructure projects.

At the same time, the letter points to a failure in the standard update process itself. NTA submitted a request to amend SI 118, but the committee at the Standards Institution decided to pass the proposal as a whole to an expert committee, instead of splitting it and discussing separately the clauses that could be approved. According to the Movement, the expert committee was never established, partly due to a lack of budget, and therefore the procedure was effectively frozen. The Movement also points to a funding problem. According to them, the continuation of the process was effectively conditioned on external funding from NTA or another entity.

The letter quotes the Commissioner for Standardization, who warned:

"It is important that standardization processes take place flawlessly, in accordance with the Standards Law and its rules."

Now, the Movement demands that the Standards Institution explain, among other things, what the new schedule for completing the update is. This comes after the Institution previously estimated that the process would be completed within about a year, while at the beginning of September 2026 it is still frozen. The Movement demands answers by September 22 and warns that in the absence of a response, it may consider legal and public steps. The Standards Institution responded that they are working in an orderly manner on a response to the letter, which will be completed in the coming days.