Summary
Products tested and certified in the United States to American standards are likely to have to be retested and re-certified to European Union (EU) requirements as a result of the EU’s different approach to the protection of the health and safety of consumers and the protection of its environment. Many years of effort by the European Union to remove internal barriers to trade among its member states has created what is called the European Single Market, and has cemented a top-down approach to standardization and legislation. European Union standards created in recent years under a program called the “New Approach” are harmonized across the 25 EU member states and the European Economic Area (EFTA) countries allowing for the free flow of goods between them. While this harmonization of EU standards and legislation has, in fact, facilitated access to the EU market (as compared to meeting 28 individual member states requirements), even a single set of regulations and technical standards can act as a barrier to trade when American standards are different from those of the European Union.