Environmental Protection Minister Zeev Elkin: "With the end of the two year Twinning project, I would like to praise the EU for strengthening collaboration with the Ministry, and for sharing with us the abilities and experiences necessary to adopt and enforce the high environmental standards developed in the EU. The financial investment, as well as the experts accompanying the project, helped the Ministry prepare for the adoption of the Integrated Environmental Licensing Law being promoted by the MoEP. The law is expected to meet the criteria adopted in Europe and to implement appropriate regulatory tools such as those that exist in the European Union. We will be happy to continue cooperation in order to implement the regulation in industry and for the benefit of public health in Israel."

MoEP Director General Yisrael Dancziger: "The project is an important milestone in improving the MoEP's ability to reduce pollution and risks, and to improve the health of Israeli residents, by adapting regulation in Israel to the most advanced regulations in the world. The Ministry and the Government of Israel are committed to continuing the process, which will improve environmental protection, improve the health of the residents, and will reduce the bureaucratic burden of industry."

​The MoEP hosted a public event on Thursday to conclude the Twinning project, funded by the European Union, which was aimed at making a contribution to sustainable development and green growth in Israel, by modernizing and effectively implementing an environmental regulatory and management framework for industry, as well as by promoting the creation of infrastructure required to use resources effectively for public benefit.

Through the project, Israeli regulators learned from the expertise and knowledge of European regulators and industry experts who've already created legislation in this area in their countries. Knowledge was shared through workshops, ad-hoc consultations, study visits, and more. The project, which began in the summer of 2015, was the continuation of a process that began with a first Twinning project that ran from 2013 to 2015.

EU Ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen: "The outcomes of this Twinning project demonstrate not only the importance of EU-Israel cooperation but also of collaboration between our governments and our companies. Through this project the EU and Israel have built solid international working relationships, while boosting environmental learning and professionalization. Twinning is an important part of our partnership with Israel."

Over the past two years, more than 55 Twinning experts from Germany, Austria, and Northern Ireland were invited by government ministries and agencies to Israel, and worked in close cooperation with the staff of Israel's MoEP. Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) acted as the senior project leader country.

Throughout the course of the Twinning Project, about 16 manuals and guidelines in different technical fields were produced. These will be used as guidance documents for the MoEP and for the different industries, to set policies for reducing environmental pollution and risks.

The final event was attended by Israeli and European experts, as well as representatives of various government offices, industry, academia and environmental NGOs, the EU Delegation to Israel, and the German, Austrian and UK embassies.

Learn more about the Twinning Project.