Europe's new
environmental laws:
Thai exporters need to learn quick
By Jon Fernquest
The new environmental laws being adopted by the
EU are forcing exporters around the world to change the way they make
the products they export. The laws also apply to Thai companies that
export to Europe, so they better start planning for change now.
The environmental policies, standards, and laws of the European Union (EU) are the most advanced in the world. They encourage manufacturers to use more eco-friendly materials in their products and also make recycling easier and reduce waste at the end of a product's life. These policies fight climate change, protect biodiversity and protect consumers as well.
Of 300 environment laws, 25% are laws that regulate the production of products. The new laws set standards for electrical appliances, industrial waste, landfill management, and the disposal of cars, electrical appliances and chemicals. These standards apply to both products manufactured within Europe and products imported from outside of Europe.
There is an urgent need for Thai businesses exporting to Europe to understand the changes that are currently going on in the European regulatory environment. Changes in the production of Thai exports have to be proactively made before the changes come into effect. If changes are not made in time, Thai export goods will simply not pass the customs inspection and the goods will not be allowed into the EU, resulting in lost business.
Test labs and certification bodies to ensure compliance with EU regulations will be set up by the Thai government. The EU is working hard to make sure that countries affected by the laws such as Thailand understand the policies and are able to adjust their business practices to the new policies.
A three-year, 90 million euro programme (the Switch Programme) has been set aside for this purpose. One third of the funds are for ASEAN countries. In the first round of the programme 320 grant proposals were submitted for projects in this programme, but only two of those programmes came from Thailand.
Clearly, these new EU laws, despite some initial difficulty, will make the world a better place in the long-run. The new laws and standards will also create new career opportunities and consulting opportunities for Thai engineers with knowledge and experience in the new standards.
Read a related article about how a database of international regulations could help Thai exporters.
Read a paper from Princeton University in the United States on the rationale behind the new EU environmental policies.
Read an article in The Economist about an environmentally innovative clothing facgtory in Sri Lanka.
Wikipedia also has extensive articles on some EU environmental laws such as the Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment 2002/95/EC or the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive. See a Wikipedia list of EU Directives.
(Source: Bangkok Post, 30-05-08, ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT, page B3, temp-link)
Vocabulary:
conform to laws
- follow the details of a law ตามกฎหมาย
policies - a set of ideas and plans guiding how
decisions are made (See Wikipedia on environmental
policy) นโยบาย
standards - a level of acceptable quality or
achievement มาตรฐาน
encourage - persuade people do something, try to get
people to do สนับสนุน กระตุ้น
eco-friendly - friendly to the environment, low
impact on environment เป็นมิตรต่อสิ่งแวดล้อม
recycling - collecting and using old materials
(garbage, waste) again, to perevent waster and reduce consumption of
raw materials such as metal, paper, and plastic (See Wikipedia)
การรีไซเคิล
climate change - long-term changes in the weather
such as the temperature increasing (global warming), or increased rain
and flooding (See Wikipedia)
การเปลี่ยนแปลงของภูมิอากาศ
biodiversity - when a variety of different plants
and animals in an area makes for a healthy environment
(See Wikipedia)
ความหลากหลายทางชีวภาพ
electrical appliances - machines in the home that
clean and cook, includes large
appliances such as refrigerators
and also small appliances such as (See Wikipedia on home
appliances) อุปกรณ์ไฟฟ้า
industrial waste - waste produced by factories and
mines, such as chemicals that are hazardous or poisonous (toxic) (See Wikipedia)
กาก ขยะอุตสาหกรรม
a landfill - getting rid of garbage by burying it in
a very large and deep hole การนำขยะไปทิ้งที่กองขยะ
disposal - throwing away, getting rid of what you no
longer need ทิ้่ง
urgent - must be done quickly เร่งด่วน
regulatory environment - all the regulations that
govern a certain activity in a place (for example, the EU regulatory
environment for food safety) กฎระเบียบในเรื่องต่างๆ
proactively - acting in advance to deal with
expected difficulties, solving problems before they occur (See glossary)
ดำเินินการล่วงหน้า หรือหาทางบ้องกันล่วงหน้า
come into effect - when a law becomes active (so
people have to follow the law) เริ่มบังคับใช้
customs - the government agency that checks goods
coming into the country and collects import tariffs (taxes) ศุลกากร
customs inspection - when the government checks
goods coming into the country การตรวจสอบสินค้าขาเข้าโดยศุลกากร
หรือ การผ่านพิธีการศุลกากร
a lab, a laboratory - a room where scientific
equipment is used ห้องทดลอง
test labs - a room where tests are carried out using
scientific equipment to make sure that standards have been met ห้องทดลอง
certification bodies - official organisations that
can ensure that companies are meeting standards and issue an official
certificate as proof คณะกรรมการออกใบอนุญาต
compliance with regulations - following regulations
ตามกฎระเบียบของ
ensure compliance with EU regulations - make sure
that EU regulations are followed
ทำให้มั่นใจว่าถูกต้องตามระเบียบข้อบังคับของ EU
business practices - the way that business is done
(See glossary)
การทำธุรกรรม
set aside X for Y - keep X for a special future use
Y (See glossary)
สำรองไว้
a grant - money given by the government or other
organisation for a special purpose (a "loan" you have to pay back, a
grant you don't have to pay back) เงินสนับสนุน
a proposal - a suggested idea or plan for people to
think about and decide on (either choosing or rejecting; See ) ข้อเสนอ
grant proposals - a plan for the project that the
government will give money to do
แผนการดำเนินการที่ได้รับการอนุมัติและสนับสนุนจากรัฐบาล
consulting - when someone with expert knowledge in
an area advises others for a fee ให้คำปรึกษา