Many UK companies aren’t properly prepared for new EU service management legislation “Many UK companies aren’t properly prepared for new EU service management legislation” warns AFSMI UK President Uxbridge, Middlesex, xxth October 2004. Chris Farnath, the newly appointed UK President of AFSMI (the International Association for Services Management) has warned technology companies that they face commercial ruin if they continue to treat service management as of secondary importance. He made the remarks during his opening address to UK service management professionals at the recent Service Management Europe 2004 show. Highlighting new EU legislation such as the WEEE (Waste of Electronic and Electrical Equipment) and RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) regulations, Farnath said that service management will take on a completely new significance over the next two years - and companies that don’t plan for these changes today will face significant commercial disadvantage tomorrow. The WEEE regulations, which are now law and must be operational as of August 2005, make it mandatory that electronic and electrical equipment suppliers reclaim a substantial percentage of the content of all old equipment; with failure to comply possibly leading to a blanket trading ban right across Europe. WEEE puts responsibility for establishing ‘take-back’ infrastructure and reporting on compliance firmly in the hands of product producers. The RoHS regulations are expected to come into force in 2006 and will carry an equally harsh penalty for non-compliance. Show Full Article