Metric only? NEMA applauds EU proposed change in labeling directive

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) welcomes the European Commission's Sept. 10 proposal to indefinitely postpone implementation of the European Union's (EU) 1980 metric-only labeling directive, which would have banned usage of non-metric units on products sold in the EU.

By Control Engineering Staff October 4, 2007

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) welcomes the European Commission’s Sept. 10 proposal to indefinitely postpone implementation of the European Union’s (EU) 1980 metric-only labeling directive, which would have banned usage of non-metric units on products sold in the EU.

“We very much appreciate this new proposal,” said Evan Gaddis, NEMA president and CEO, in a release. “It recognizes that the original directive, which was principally drafted to further British and Irish integration into the EU, would have also had serious negative implications for trans-Atlantic trade. The U.S. electrical equipment industry is hardly opposed to the metric system itself, but fundamental differences between the built electrical infrastructures in Europe and North America make required (as opposed to optional) usage of metric-only labeling unworkable.”

NEMA, a trade association for the electrical manufacturing industry, has led efforts to address concerns posed by the directive, which is currently subject to a third 10-year suspension. The proposed indefinite suspension, which was authored by the commission’s Enterprise Directorate, must still be ratified by the European Parliament and Council of Ministers.

In other news, the NEMA annual meeting, called Illuminations Weekend , is Nov. 9 & 10, 2007, in Boca Raton, FL.

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