Greetings! Thought the group might need a break from strings and cans! _________________________________________ Kurt B. Fischer
International Compliance Corporation 802 N. Kealy Lewisville, TX 75057-3136 Voice: 972.436.9600 Fax: 972.436.2667 e-mail: [email protected] web page: http://www.icomply.com "these are my opinions not those of my employer" -----Original Message----- From: Jeffrey Horlick [SMTP:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 1997 1:19 PM To: Kurt Fischer Subject: MRA press release Greetings Kurt, Please share this as appropriate. The following came from http://www.ita.doc.gov/media/mraprod.htm Best regards, Jeff [Image] For Further Information, Please Contact: Bill Buck at 202-482-4883 or Curt Cultice at 202-482-3809 U.S., EU Reach Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Product Testing & Approval Requirements Agreements cover $50 billion in two-way trade U.S. Department of Commerce News Release from the Office of the Secretary, Friday, June 13, 1997 Washington-The United States and European Union have agreed to a package of mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) that will reduce trade barriers in six industry sectors covering approximately $50 billion two-way trade, U.S. Commerce Secretary William M. Daley and U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky announced. When fully implemented, the agreements willrecognize the results of product testing or certification requirements set by both governments and eliminates the need for duplicative testing, inspection, or certification requirements for products from each side of the Atlantic. "Under this landmark agreement U.S. regulatory agencies, for the first time, have entered into a cooperative international agreement that strives to reduce regulatory costs while at the same time seeks to expand market access and protect the health and safety of consumers on both sides of the Atlantic," Commerce Secretary Daley said. "Completion of these mutual recognition agreements has been a longstanding priority of the United States and the European Union," Secretary Daley added. "I also want to give credit to the Transatlantic Business Dialogue. The TABD and the MRA was important; we heard them and acted." "We achieved an agreement that is good for U.S. and EU business, good for our regulatory agencies, and good for our consumers," said Barshefsky. "The MRA is yet another example of the Administration's push to open markets in sectoral areas where the United States leads the world, while assuring our absolute right to choose our own health and safety standards. The real winners today are manufacturers, workers, and consumers, both in America and in Europe, who will see reduced costs, increased jobs, and a better standard of living." These agreements are expected to increase U.S. exports by saving manufacturers more than $1 billion in costs annually, which is equivalent to a two or three point reduction in tariffs. The MRAs include telecommunications, medical devices, electromagnetic compatibility, electrical safety, recreational craft, and pharmaceuticals. The agreements allow products or processes to be assessed for conformity (i.e., testing, inspection, and certification) in the United States to European Union standards, and vice versa. After entry into force, the agreements will be phased in and fully implemented in two years for electronic products and three years for health products. This agreement was concluded with the support of the Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD), a U.S.-EU government-business partnership that generates business recommendations for removing barriers to transatlantic trade for direct consideration in the government decision-making process. ### -------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- JEFFREY HORLICK National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) Building 820 Room 282 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001 USA 301-975-4020 TEL 301-926-2884 FAX [email protected] (internet address) http://ts.nist.gov/nvlap Do not be offended, I ask this of everyone. If you reply, please include your full address, phone and FAX numbers in your reply so that I can phone, FAX, e-mail and visit you. -----------------------------------------------------------
