EU and US agree roadmap for regulatory cooperation
EU and US leaders endorsed a roadmap for closer regulatory cooperation on 20 June, setting out a number of concrete activities between the two partners for the coming year. The '2005 Roadmap for Regulatory Cooperation' targets joint initiatives in a wide range of areas, from food safety to marine design. The sectors where joint activities are foreseen include: - human medicinal products: cooperation on matters related to the safety, quality and efficacy of pharmaceutical products; - car safety: including cooperation on the safety of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and vehicle compatibility; - information and communication technology standards: initial projects will include information exchange on e-accessibility, security and biometrics; - cosmetics: cooperation regarding alternative (i.e. non-animal) testing; - telecommunications and radio-communications equipment, electromagnetic compatibility: consider cooperative approaches to achieve consistent regulatory treatment of telecommunications and radio-communications products wherever possible. Other sectors targeted for improved regulatory cooperation are food safety, eco-design, chemicals and energy efficiency. As well as sectoral activities, the roadmap also specifies horizontal initiatives, including gaining an enhanced understanding of each other's regulatory practices, and developing a blueprint to identify resources and mechanisms to promote exchanges of US and European regulatory experts. Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen, responsible for enterprise and industry policy, said: 'Today we have taken a major step to boost trade and investment between the EU and US. We have agreed to create efficient mechanisms to enhance regulatory cooperation. This will bring concrete benefits to businesses and consumers in the EU and the US.'
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