Cabinet Resolution No.16 of 2018 regarding the Agricultural Fertilizers System.

This Law consisting of 49 articles aims at (i) regulating the handling of agricultural fertilizers; (ii) organizing the procedures for registration, control and inspection of agricultural fertilizers, their trade and transfer; and (iii) reducing the risks of agricultural fertilizers and their negative effects on the environment. Article 3 provides for the establishment, by decision of the Minister of Agriculture, of a Committee for Registration and Handling of Agricultural Fertilizers with the following main tasks (i) examine the applications for registration of agricultural fertilizers and submitting recommendations to the Minister; (ii) determine the types of agricultural fertilizers that are permitted and prohibited, and the methods of their use; (iii) approve and register the results of evaluating the effectiveness of agricultural fertilizers in Palestine; (iv) reviewing and adopting a mechanism to monitor and control the quality of the agricultural fertilizers in circulation; (v) submit recommendations to the Minister to cancel the registration of agricultural fertilizers that violate the approved specifications and technical mandatory instructions; (vi) manage the basic data and information system on agricultural fertilizers that have completed the requirements.
Import, export, manufacture or supply of agricultural fertilizers need to be registered for authorized person (art.5). However the Law prescribes the following (i) it is prohibited to register (a) agricultural fertilizers banned by a decision of the Minister of Agriculture; and (b) agricultural fertilizers, which are prohibited to be used in the country of origin for health or environmental reasons (art.6); (ii) it is permitted to import the agricultural fertilizers without registration when (a) the Ministry recognizes the purposes of research or scientific experiments; (b) the Ministry permits the import of samples not registered in Palestine for the purpose of conducting studies and observations on them before submitting an application for registration, under the conditions provided for at art.7. Rules for applying for registration, for a three-year period, of imported or locally manufactured agricultural fertilizers and the necessary documents are provided for at arts.8-12. The registration of agricultural fertilizer can be canceled by a decision of the Minister in the cases at art.15, and the subsequent measures to be taken by the General Administration of Agricultural Lands can be found at art.16. To import agricultural fertilizers it is required a written technical approval from the General Administration of Agricultural Lands (art.21), while the license to sell and trade in agricultural fertilizers is granted by the Ministry after obtaining a written approval from the General Administration (art.22). It is forbidden to manufacture, prepare or re-fill agricultural fertilizers without obtaining the approval of the Ministry, valid for one year (art.33). Rules for transport can be found at art.41 that mainly states that (i) the agricultural fertilizers are transported in their original sealed packages or suitable packages, with an attached label; and (ii) it is prohibited to enter or remove any fertilizer except through the official ports of Palestine specified in the import or export permit. It is prohibited to use and transport treated sludge and organic fertilizer (compost) prepared for agricultural use as an organic fertilizer, except in accordance with the provisions and requirements of the approved Palestinian Standard, and the mandatory technical instructions, in addition to the technical instructions issued by the Ministry (arts.43 and 44).