Washington, DC – April 29, 2003 – A new guide published today reveals that the U.S. high-tech industry has less than two years to comply with two environmental laws that were adopted by the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers on February 13, 2003.

The Restrictions on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, will have far-reaching consequences for the industry. Most notably:

• The WEEE Directive requires companies (irrespective of nationality) that sell their electrical and electronic equipment in the EU to finance the collection and recycling of their electronics waste by August 13, 2005.

• The RoHS Directive bans the use of certain materials, such as lead, mercury and cadmium, in electronics products built anywhere in the world and sold on the EU market beginning July 1, 2006.
  

Companies that do not comply with the EU RoHS or WEEE Directives risk penalties from the EU and may also be prevented from selling equipment in EU member countries.

Tim Bennett, AeA Senior Vice President for International, explained, "Passage of the EU WEEE and RoHS Directives has resulted in the most far-reaching environmental policy requirements for electrical and electronic equipment established by any polity in the world. Due to the profound technological and financial requirements of the Directives, their implementation will fundamentally alter every high-tech company’s business strategy in the European Union and its global supply chain management."

Ken Rivlin, Head of the Allen & Overy U.S. Environmental Law Group, stated, "This Guide is aimed at helping U.S. high-tech companies understand the WEEE and RoHS Directives, the costs of compliance, and related strategic implications. It is essential for U.S. companies to understand the regulatory framework in the markets in which they operate, and to have in place a comprehensive compliance strategy that will enable them to remain competitive."

In addition to a thorough analysis of the RoHS and WEEE Directives, the Guide includes a chart that takes the reader through the EU laws requirements from a U.S. company's perspective.

For more information about the Guide, see www.aeanet.org/EUEnviroReport and www.allenovery.com/environment

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Allen & Overy is a premier international law firm which currently has over 4,800 staff, including 420 partners, working in 26 major centers worldwide. Allen & Overy's Global Environmental Law Group comprises 8 partners and a total of 50 lawyers in Europe and the US. Its experienced environmental law specialists offer market leading advice from offices in Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Spain, UK and the US. The 2002 independent legal directory, The Legal 500, ranks the Group the number one practice on the "unrivalled recommendation of both clients and contemporaries."