PSI Board of Directors Approves and Updates 272 New Standards

Ramallah – The Board of Directors of the Palestinian Standards Institution (PSI) held its fourth meeting for the year 2024, chaired by Minister of Industry and Chairman of the Board, Mr. Arafat Asfour, and attended by PSI Director General, Mr. Hayder Hajja. The meeting addressed a range of vital issues aimed at supporting the national industry and enhancing its competitiveness in local and international markets.
(Date: 15 January 2025)

During the session, the board approved 102 new Palestinian standards, in addition to updating 170 existing standards covering various sectors, including construction products, cosmetics, food products, textiles, clothing, medical devices, metallic materials, electrotechnical products, agricultural crops, petroleum derivatives, paints, furniture, personal protective equipment, machinery and vehicles, plastic pipes, tobacco, footwear, and leather.

The board also ratified 112 reviewed standards, and confirmed the continued validity of 104 standards based on the recommendations of the technical committees. Meanwhile, 8 outdated standards were withdrawn after exceeding the five-year review period, in accordance with PSI's standard development procedures.

Since the beginning of the year, PSI technical committees have reviewed 926 Palestinian standards, recommending the update or renewal of 618 of them. This ongoing effort reflects the institution’s strong commitment to improving quality and upgrading standards across all sectors.

Regarding mandatory technical regulations, the board designated specific oversight authorities responsible for their enforcement.

• Regulation No. 120-2024 on animal feed was assigned to the Ministry of National Economy, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Agriculture.

• Regulation No. 121-2024 concerning medical devices was entrusted to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Economy, and the Ministry of Industry.

• Regulation No. 122-2024 on the classification, labeling, and packaging of substances and mixtures was assigned to the Ministry of Health, Ministry of National Economy, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Industry, and the Environment Quality Authority.

The board also approved the proposed framework for developing a national inspection system to ensure the effective enforcement of mandatory technical regulations for both food and non-food products. The goal is to enhance product safety, consumer protection, and compliance with national standards.

In addition, the board approved a draft cooperation agreement with Palestine Ahliya University to promote technical and scientific collaboration in training, testing, calibration, and knowledge exchange.

The board also reviewed PSI’s recent achievements in securing national and international accreditations that reinforce its leadership role. These include obtaining certifications for quality and Halal compliance, international recognition of the national olive oil tasting panel, and accreditation of three calibration laboratories by the Palestinian Accreditation Unit.

In the realm of international cooperation, the board reviewed mutual recognition memoranda in the fields of standardization and accreditation between Palestine and Tunisia. It also reviewed the cumulative progress report for the third quarter of the 2024 operational plan, and approved the draft operational plan for 2025, directing the Director General to implement it and provide quarterly progress reports.

These decisions reflect PSI’s unwavering commitment to supporting national industry development and strengthening the Palestinian product’s position in both local and international markets.