PPE Regulations - where from here?

The meeting at the EU Commission planned for last November was postponed until May 2010; the next steps will be announced after this.

The process is required for directives which need to be enacted in every EU member state to take effect. This ensures that each country carries out an assessment of the potential problems and benefits generated by the draft of the proposed directive.

While matters such as the five year validity of typeexamination certificates and the move into category III for head protection, foot protection and hearing protection products are virtually agreed, matters such as transition periods, validity of standards superseded for "non-safety" reasons and the ways in which the "safeguard" clause should be implemented have yet to be confirmed.