Easy solution. The US needs to allow for metric only labelling. Since the US is
clearly in the minority (a minority of one to be exact) then the US adoption of metric
only labelling is the clear solution to the increased costs of dual packaging. As
metric only labelling appears to be the trend I don't see where the 2009-12-31
deadline should be a problem for US companies... unless of course they ignore the
metric labelling issue until 2009-12-30.
greg
Sasktoon SK Canada
>>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 2001-04-04 07:13:06 >>>
To all,
This TABD text from 2000-12-17 has never been on our list. See how the trap of
a 'market driven permanent solution' is set here.
I will contact Mr. Pietracenza about this 'market driven' stuff.
Another question, **off topic** for US members of the list. Today I read in a
letter in the Irish Times that a petition was signed by 17 000 US scientists in
the fields of earth science, meteorology, biology and other natural sciences
which claims that there is no scientific proof that global warming is caused by
emissions of greenhouse gases through human activities. Is that true? I wish to
send a rebuttal to the paper if possible. Please let me know in private e-mails
what this is about.
Han
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 1999
Contacts:
Marietta Bernot: (202) 833-2970 (ITA)
Shawn Jarosz: (202) 833-2970 (ITA)
Jeff Werner: 202.414.1293 (US TABD)
Chris Duffy: 32 2 231.1728 (EU TABD)
TABD APPLAUDS EUROPEAN UNION'S DEFERRAL OF "METRIC-ONLY" LABELING DIRECTIVE
BRUSSELS (December 17, 1999) --- The Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD)
applauded the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers decision this
week to approve a 10-year deferral of the EU "metric-only" directive. If
implemented, the EU directive would have required all products sold in the EU
to be labeled only in metric units, causing serious disruptions in
transatlantic trade.
U.S. and EU industry developed consensus recommendations at the TABD Rome
Conference to secure a ***market-driven solution*** to the metric labeling
issue. More than $126 billion in annual bilateral trade in consumer goods and
$160 billion in capital goods exposed to increased costs from the "metric-only"
labeling requirement. The requirement would have raised business costs,
adversely impacted consumers and forced many small companies out of the
transatlantic marketplace..
EU TABD Chair, Jer(me Monod, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Suez
Lyonnaise des Eaux said, "this welcome move by the EU will allow industry time
to address differences in U.S. and EU labeling requirements in a comprehensive
and permanent way." U.S. TABD Chair, Rick Thoman, President and CEO of Xerox
Corporation added, "this is a win for US and EU industry, and testimony to
TABD's continued success in working with the governments to find practical
solutions to transatlantic regulatory issues."
TABD leaders urged Governments to use the delay to continue working with
industry to find a ***market-driven, permanent solution*** to the remaining
differences in the U.S. and EU product labeling regimes.
Speaking on behalf of the TABD's metric labeling issue group, Jeanette Wagner,
Vice Chairman, Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. said, "this step, combined with the
recent progress in the U.S. to allow metric only as an option, is a good
example of how the US and the EU can work cooperatively to solve a difficult
problem."
TABD U.S. Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) Working Group Chair, Candace
Chen, CEO of Power Clean 2000, added, "small and medium-sized enterprises,
which make up approximately 90 percent of companies engaged in U.S.-EU trade,
will benefit significantly from the EU's decision. The delay eliminates the
prohibitively high and duplicative labeling costs which could have forced many
SMEs out of the marketplace altogether."
The TABD, a unique business-led process launched by the EU and U.S. in 1995,
seeks to increase transatlantic trade and investment opportunities through the
removal of costly inefficiencies from excessive regulation, duplication and
differences in the EU and U.S. regulatory systems and procedures.
*1999 TransAtlantic Business Dialogue. All Rights Reserved.
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