ABSTRACT
The European Union (EU) was originally an economic association formed in 1958 (Treaty of Rome) with six member states. The European Community (EC) directives create a consistent set of requirements that must be adopted into national law for all EC and european economic community member states. Even though these directives have been adopted to protect the environment, legislative harmonization is based more in eliminating trade barriers and distorted competition than environmental protection. The 1992 Maastricht Treaty formally established the concept of sustainable development in EU law. The Amsterdam Treaty of 1997 made sustainable development one of the overriding objectives of the EU. In addition to environmental directives, the EU has established directives for the safety of products being imported into member countries. These directives cover such items as construction products, toys, pressure vessels, machines, personal protective equipment, nonautomatic weighing machines, medical devices, gas appliances, boilers, and explosives.
