What is the official number of this directive?
> ---------- > From: Eric Henning[SMTP:[email protected]] > Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 1998 10:12 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: update on Metric Directive > > As some of you may recall, the Metric Directive which requires metric > only marking in Europe beginning Jan , 2000 (S.I. units cannot appear > in documents or product, ie no dual marking such as 2.54 cm (1 in.), > here is an update with reference to sources: > > > > >From : at NIST > Jim McCracken > Metric Program > > >The European Commission's technical staff recently proposed that the > >implementation of metric measures only be delayed until 2010. This > >requires > >political action and review by the EU Parliament, the Member State's > >legislative bodies and a ruling by the European Commission. This may > >take > >until 1999 AND may only pass if the U.S. makes commitments to focus > on >its > >metric conversion so that the problem doesn't reappear in 2008. > > > and from Conformity newsletter (Mar 98): > > >Truth In Labeling May Reach Absurd Proportions > > >A meeting in Brussels last November between officials of the European > >Union (EU) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) may > >portend the absurd lengths to which manufacturers and government > >officials are willing to go to ensure compliance with EU Directives. > > >That metric measurements be used on products sold throughout the EU. > >Under subsequent EU legislation, manufacturers have been allowed to > >use supplemental, non-metric units of measurement on their packaging, > >which presumably allows them to produce a single label for products > >shipped world-wide. However, the EU provision allowing for > >supplemental units of measurement reportedly expires on > >December 31, 1999. > > >Apparently, a number of American manufacturers are expressing concern > >about their ability to comply with the "metric-only" requirements by > >that date. During the Brussels meeting, ANSI officials reportedly > >requested that EU officials extend indefinitely the allowance for > >supplemental, non-metric units of measurement on product packaging, > >arguing that "labeling requirements for units of measurement must not > >create barriers to trade" (our emphasis). > > >One reported solution coming from reliable sources would be to add > the > >phrase "References to non SI-units (i.e. non-metric units) are > >obsolete" to labels bearing dual units of measurement. > > > > eric [email protected] >
