E.U.'s New Rules Forcing Changes In U.S. Companies

[keep_it_real]

-snip-

The new laws in the European Union require companies to demonstrate that a chemical is safe before it enters commerce -- the opposite of policies in the United States, where regulators must prove that a chemical is harmful before it can be restricted or removed from the market. Manufacturers say that complying with the European laws will add billions to their costs, possibly driving up prices of some products.

Under the E.U. laws, manufacturers must study and report the risks posed by specific chemicals. Through the Internet, the data will be available for the first time to consumers, regulators and potential litigants around the world. Until now, much of that information either did not exist or was closely held by companies.

In the United States, laws in place for three decades have made banning or restricting chemicals extremely difficult.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103569.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. Tragic isn't it

the cost of making things as safe as they should've been in the first place. :sarcasm:

[fasttense]

2. Oh, I thought the EU would force corporations to take off the chains

from their slave labor. I should have known the EU would never be so progressive.

[dipsydoodle]

5. That is an equally important

but seperate issue which the EU would have no means of controlling. In this instance they are talking about something measurable.

[mmonk]

3. The EU controls US corporations much more

than people realize. Their approach to economic dominance is through rules of the game rather than international bullying through violence. I think in the end, they will rise as we decline because the world is tiring of our methodology. A good read on the subject is, "The United States of Europe" which I have. I'm not at home right now, so I can't recall the author.

[keep_it_real]

8. After reading some of the reviews for the book on Amazon

I ordered it; it was only $4.99; a new hardcover too.

[mmonk]

9. You got a great deal.

Excellent book and it breaks down all components and countries in the EU along with per capita income and has great quotes from the heads of US corporations concerning their power and the EU market.

[Homer Wells]

4. Corporate America finds it much more efficient

to use the Consuming Public (be it foreign or domestic) as its guinea pigs to test the safety of its products. No major test studies to finance, and if a product out there should kill an unfortunate number of its "subjects", the lawsuit costs are probably still cheaper than making sure it is safe beforehand.

:sarcasm: (?)

K&R

[dipsydoodle]

6. Make sure you read the second page on the link too

The USA , has for example , yet to ban asbestos.

[keep_it_real]

7. Yea, that is unbelievable