Europe likely to
permit dual labeling covering metric and
imperial measures after 2000
Industry has been reassured that the European Union will not require
metric-only units of measurement on product labeling by January 1/2000.
Although a proposed ten-year extension to the transition period for
the Units of Measurement Directive failed to make the European Parliament’s spring
agenda, it has been promised that appropriate action would be taken if it is not approved
by the end of the year.
The European Council approved an amendment to the directive in
February allowing dual labeling until December 31/2009. However, the Commission delayed
issuing the appropriate paperwork and the proposal arrived too late to be included in the
present parliamentary session.
Hopefully, industry lobbying will ensure the amendment is heard in
the autumn. Even if the amendment is not adopted by January, the Commission has indicated
that it will step in at the federal or member level to prevent metric- only
labeling from
being enforced.
A ban on labeling in both imperial and metric units would mean that
manufacturers could not use just one label for both the EU and US markets. This would hit
both the European and US medical device industries severely. Increased costs from separate
labeling, packaging, inventory systems and warehousing would be very expensive,
especially for small and medium-sized companies, and there are also safety considerations.
Manufacturers have been pushing for a ten-year extension to allow
time for Europe to reach an agreement with the US on a common standard for units of
measurement. In the longer term, they are lobbying for the medical devices to be exempt
from the directive or for dual labeling to continue.
The EC’s medical device department has asked industry to lobby
the EC Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee for the dual labeling issue to replace an
existing item on the European Parliament agenda, allowing the proposal to be heard before
the end of the year.
EU and US industry share the view that the market should decide
whether metric-only units provide enough information for the end-user. Equipment
manufacturers are concerned that the conversion of inch/pound units to metric is not
exact, while higher risks of human error are also introduced if the end-user is not
proficient in metric measurement.
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