ENVIRONMENT - POLLUTION

Legal Framework
The legal framework for marine pollution prevention consists of a number of laws:
The Prevention of Sea Water Pollution by Oil Ordinance, 1980, which prohibits discharge of oil or oily water into Israel's territorial and inland waters by any shore installation or vessel, and makes any such act a criminal offense;
The Prevention of Sea Pollution (Dumping of Waste) Law, 1983, which controls dumping of waste at sea;
The Prevention of Sea Pollution from Land-based Sources Law, 1988, which prohibits the discharge of industrial and municipal wastewater without a permit;
The Maintenance of Cleanliness Law, 1984, which prohibits the disposal of any refuse in public areas;
The Ports Ordinance, 1971, which provides for the operation and management of ports in Israel, with special regard to the handling of hazardous substances in ports.

Regional and International Conventions
Israel is an active participant in the United Nations Environment Programme's Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) which provides an important forum for regional environmental activities and cooperation to protect the Mediterranean Sea. Israel has ratified the 1976 Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution and its related protocols. Israel has also ratified the Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, and the 1978 Protocol (MARPOL 73/78) and Annexes 1, 2 and 3 of the Convention. Efforts are currently being made to ratify Annexes 4 and 5 of MARPOL 73/78 as well as the 1990 Oil Pollution Responsibility and Cooperation Convention (OPRC) and international agreements for compensation in case of large-scale accidents - Civil Liability Convention and the IOPCF (Fund) Convention.