Arlington, Va., May 25, 2005 - The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), the Japan Green Procurement Survey Standardization Initiative (JGPSSI) and JEDEC today jointly announced the publication of the first international standard for product material content reporting. The Joint Industry Guide for Material Composition Declaration for Electronic Products (Joint Industry Guide or JIG) will enhance and harmonize the reporting of standardized approach for the disclosure of material content data across the entire electronics supply chain. The Guide, developed by EIA and JGPSSI and standardized using JEDEC procedures, represents the first industry step towards disclosing material content data. The standard was motivated by the increasing trend toward international environmental regulations that restrict the use of certain substances. The most well-known of these regulations is the European Union Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), which will take effect in 2006, and will ban the use of specific materials that have traditionally been used in electronics manufacture.

"The Joint Industry Guide is the culmination of an effort by leading information technology and consumer electronics companies around the world working together for nearly four years to coordinate and enhance industry reporting of relevant materials in products and components," EIA President Dave McCurdy said. "The Guide will provide a standardized list of relevant materials that require supply chain disclosure and will make this process more manageable and cost-effective for all members of the global electronics supply chain."

"The fact that more than 100 international leading companies from material industry to final products manufacturers voluntarily put together the Guide is an epoch-making achievement," according to Kiyoto Furuta, Chairman of JGPSSI. "It is the hope of all of us who took part in preparing the Guide that this international voluntary cooperation will be a steppingstone in our efforts to overcoming global environmental issues."

The Joint Industry Guide provides a standardized list of materials that must be disclosed when they are present in products and subparts that are supplied to electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) manufacturers for incorporation into their products. The standardized list will benefit both suppliers and their commercial customers by providing consistency and efficiency in the material declaration process. It will also encourage the development of consistent data exchange formats and tools that can facilitate and upgrade data transfer along the entire global supply chain.

Issues covered in the Joint Industry Guide include:

• targeted lists of materials and substances for disclosure;
• the composition amount or "threshold level" that requires disclosure for particular materials and substances;
• regulatory requirements that establish threshold levels, where appropriate; and,
• a set of data fields for information exchange.

Recognizing the challenges facing the entire global EEE industry from diverse material composition requests and requirements, a workgroup composed of representatives from the European Information, Communications and Consumer Electronics Technology Industry Association; EIA; and JGPSSI began work on the Joint Industry Guide nearly five years ago. The result, the Material Composition Declaration Guide for Electronic Products, brings this information together in one source, for all companies, and is now available free of charge online at www.eia.org/jig. For more information, contact EIA Director of Environmental Affairs Rick Goss by phone at (703) 907-7582 or by e-mail at rgoss@eia.org.

Note: The Guide was not developed or contemplated to provide information on every material in a component or final product; rather, it is designed to standardize manufacturer reporting on those materials that are relevant to the global electronics supply chain. The Guide is also not intended to be used by the general public when making purchasing decisions. The guide also does not preclude companies from inquiring about the presence of additional materials and substances when necessary for their business needs. However, such requests are outside the scope of the publication. The Guide will be revised as regulatory or market requirements evolve.

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About EIA: The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) is the leading advocate in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. high-tech industry. The Alliance, which traces its origins to the Radio Manufacturers Association (chartered in 1924), is a partnership of electronic and high-tech associations and companies whose mission is to promote the market development and competitiveness of the $400 billion U.S. high-tech and electronics industries through domestic and international policy efforts. EIA's corporate members - nearly 1,300 - provide products and services ranging from microscopic electronic components to state-of-the-art defense, space and industry high-tech systems, as well as the full range of telecommunications and consumer electronics products. Headquartered in Arlington, Va., the Alliance is made up of the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA); the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA); JEDEC; the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA); and leading consumer electronics companies who participate in EIA's Environmental Issues Council. EIA is also heavily involved in cyber security issues through the Internet Security Alliance (ISAlliance), and education issues, through the National Science & Technology Education Partnership (NSTEP).

About JGPSSI: The Japan Green Procurement Survey Standardization Initiative (JGPSSI) is a voluntary organization inaugurated in January 2001 by the spontaneous Japanese set-makers for the purpose of standardizing the substances and the format for survey in order to conduct the effective survey of the chemical substances contained in the parts and the materials of the equipment in electrical and electronic products. The number of the companies participating in the initiative was just 8 at the beginning, however, as of April 2005, it is joined by 86 companies and 5 associations ranging from material industry, parts manufacturers to set-makers. In April 2002, the head office was placed in Japan Electronics and Information Technology Association (JEITA), where they conduct the operational management. JGPSSI has been considering the globalization of supply chain from the beginning and discussed jointly with Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) in the United States and the European Information, Communications and Consumer Electronics Technology Industry Association (EICTA) about the standardization of the survey, studying the issue of the common guideline that can be applied as the global standard. JGPSSI is proceeding with its activities taking up the improvement of the reliability of the information on chemical substances gained through the survey as the new theme and considering the issue of "Guidelines for the Control of Chemical Substances in Products" supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. For more information about JGPSSI, go to http://home.jeita.or.jp/eps.

About JEDEC: JEDEC is the leading developer of standards for the solid-state industry. Almost 2,400 participants, appointed by some 270 companies work together in 50 JEDEC committees meet the needs of every segment of the industry, manufacturers and consumers alike. The publications and standards that they generate are accepted throughout the world. All JEDEC standards are available online, at no charge. For more information about JEDEC, go to http://www.jedec.org.