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NIST Workshop to Help Industry Meet New EU Regulations

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host a workshop this coming October to assist U.S. manufacturers and their supply chain partners in meeting new environmental regulations that restrict the use of hazardous substances in electronics and a wide range of consumer products.

An urgent challenge faced by U.S. industry is compliance with the European Union (EU) Directive on Restriction of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS), effective July 2006. RoHS restricts lead (widely used in solder); mercury; cadmium; hexavalent chromium (used to inhibit corrosion); and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants (in plastic housings of electrical appliances).

Participants in the NIST workshop will assess the measurement and standards needs of U.S. manufacturers and suppliers as they respond to the EU restrictions, and then collaboratively produce a plan that addresses this issue to prevent it from becoming a barrier to the global marketplace.

"The Restricted Substances in Materials: Testing and Reporting Procedures" workshop will be held at the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, Md., from Oct. 5-7, 2005. Registration and program information are at [link removed].

Released August 10, 2005, Updated January 23, 2023