Environmental-based regulations for electronics - From regional variety to internationally harmonized guidelines

Environmental regulation in the electronics sector should be seen as a necessary means of improving environmental performance of the global electronics industry. Globally harmonized regulations have the potential to reduce on the one hand the considerable environmental impacts of the electronics industry in general and promote products of best practice on the other hand. In order to achieve this situation a harmonization approach should not only focus on similar technical requirements but on the use of the same test procedures or standards for documenting compliance.