ASTM International

Government Interface & Corporate Outreach

Anthony Quinn Director, Public Policy

Sarah PetreManager, Federal and Industry Affairs

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ASTM International About ASTM International

• Non-governmental, not-for-profit organization

• Develops voluntary, consensus standards

• Provides certification programs on limited basis

• Does not provide accreditation services

ASTM’s objectives

• Promote public health and safety, and the overall quality of life

• Contribute to the reliability of materials, products, systems and services

• Facilitate national, regional, and international commerce

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Role of Standards Standards in the Public and Private Sector

• Impact global trade, innovation and competition

• Guide product design, development, market access

• Used by companies, research labs, government agencies

ASTM International Standards

• Voluntary consensus standards

• Regularly reviewed

• Meet World Trade Organization (WTO) principles for international standards

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I. Government Interface

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ASTM in Washington, DC

Government Affairs

• Congress

• Federal government agencies

Stakeholder Outreach

• Companies

• Embassy officials based in Washington

• Industry associations

• International Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

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ASTM in Washington, DC

Connects ASTM’s work and builds awareness among policymakers.

Represents ASTM before Congress, federal agencies, ANSI, other SDOs, and trade associations.

Engages in legislative, regulatory, and trade matters.

Strengthens relationships with ASTM stakeholders

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Advancing ASTM’s Mission

• Remove barriers to the worldwide acceptance and use of ASTM standards.

• Ensure proper recognition of ASTM standards in laws and regulations.

• Address government policies that duplicate or conflict with the interests of ASTM.

• Identify opportunities for new ASTM activities

• Government legislation, regulation, and research initiatives create the need for new standards.

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U.S. Standards System

Voluntary and led by the private sector

Requires cooperation among stakeholders

• Standards organizations

• Industry, consumers, and users

• Government representatives

• Academia

Meets stakeholders’ needs

• Protect safety, health, and environment

• Improve industry competitiveness

• Facilitate global trade and market access

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U.S. Legal and Policy Framework

National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (NTTAA)

• Requires federal government agencies to use standards developed by

voluntary consensus standards organization when possible

• Encourages federal government agencies to participate in standards

development organizations

OMB Circular No. A-119

• Reinforces goals of National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act

• Discourages federal agencies from using government-unique standards

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National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)

“…all Federal agencies and departments shall use technical standards that are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies,

using such technical standards as a means to carry out policy objectives or activities determined by the agencies and departments….

and shall, when such participation is in the public interest…participate with such bodies in the development of technical standards.”

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Other U.S. Laws of Interest Consumer Product Safety Act

• 15,000 different types of consumer products

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act of 1997

• Food safety, drugs, and cosmetic products

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

• Workplace safety and health

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U.S. Government Use of Voluntary Consensus

Standards

Procurement and Contracts with the Federal Government

• Standards are furnished to ensure that materials and services are obtained in an effective manner and

in compliance with the provisions of applicable Federal statutes and executive orders

Regulation that incorporates standard by reference• An agency may adopt a voluntary standard (without changes) by incorporating the standard in a

regulation by listing (or referencing) the standard by title.

• This approach eliminates the cost to the agency of creating a new standard

Regulation based on existing standard

• An agency reviews an existing standard and makes changes to match its goal or need.

• Agency conducts rulemaking process to solicit public opinion and stakeholder input

Public Notification and Comments

• An agency must publish a notice in the Federal Register when making a new rule or incorporating a

standard by reference

• When creating a new rule based on an existing standard, an agency may change the proposed rule in

response to public comments12

Federal Agencies & ASTM Standards

U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

• 6,500 voluntary consensus standards

incorporated by reference in federal law

• About 3,000 ASTM standards listed in CFR for

regulations and procurement

U.S. Federal Register

• Public notification of standards adoptions

• Instructions for public comments

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Congress & ASTM Standards in Law

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Congress may adopt consensus standards by reference into regulation

If law is approved, the standard then becomes a mandatory requirement

Top 10 Regulatory SDOs in US

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Standards Developing OrganizationStandards in US CFR

1 ASTM International ASTM 2227

2 American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME 599

3 American National Standards Institute ANSI 576

4 Society of Automotive Engineers SAE 418

5 National Fire Protection Association NFPA 380

6 American Petroleum Institute API 270

7 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA 242

8 State of Illinois IL 206

9 Association of Official Analytical Chemists AOAC 199

10 Insulated Cable Engineers Association ICEA 192

Source: http://standards.gov

Benefits to the U.S. Government

Eliminate/reduce costs of developing standards

Decrease costs of good purchased • Commercial off the shelf procurement

Promotes efficiency and economic competition

Relies on the private sector to meet needs• Access to industry experts and technology

• Process is faster and more dynamic

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U.S. Government Participation in ASTM

U.S. Government is a partner and key stakeholder

• Active U.S. Government participation in 93% of ASTM committees

• Broad range of federal agencies represented on ASTM committees

• 1400 units of U.S. Government participation in ASTM

• Government participants serve in leadership roles on ASTM Board of

Directors

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U.S. Government Participation in ASTM

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U.S. Federal Agency

ASTM Members

Agriculture 17

Commerce (incl. NIST) 190

CPSC 39

Defense 308

Energy 135

EPA 108

FAA 12

HHS (incl. FDA) 136

HUD 4

U.S. Federal Agency

ASTM Members

Interior 27

Justice 21

NASA 52

NRC 16

OSHA 13

Transportation 90

Treasury 13

VA 12

   

ASTM Initiatives with U.S. Government

Ensure reference to current standards

• Regular review of the Code of Federal Regulations and Congressional Record

• Coordinate technical committee communications to policymakers

Understand procurement and regulatory standards needs

• Review of Regulatory Plan and Agenda

• Encourage government liaison with and participation in committee activities

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Facts and Challenges

Standards are not always a top priority

• Constant educational process

Agencies must use lengthy rulemaking process to update or revise references

Roles and attitudes vary across federal agencies

At the U.S. state-level, no NTTAA-like policy exists

ASTM Strategy

Understand agency needs, concerns and goals, and how ASTM fits into their agenda.

Communicate

Seek advice from agency reps and other committees

No one size-fits-all approach

• Be flexible to meet the needs of agencies

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II. Corporate Outreach

ASTM Objective

“Promote a greater corporate awareness regarding the importance of standards and the

value of ASTM.”

• ASTM 2006 objectives approved by the Board.

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ASTM Engages Decision-makers

Raise awareness of standards and ASTM

Identify opportunities for collaboration on policy (regulatory and trade) issues of mutual interest

Seek industry feedback on activities and challenges

• including the removal of global barriers to the acceptance and use of ASTM standards

Ensure ASTM is meeting stakeholder needs

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Challenges

Executives lack standards knowledge

• Casual knowledge of international standardization

• View it as technical issue instead of trade barrier

Preconceived notions and misinformation

• Confusion about what makes an ‘international standard’

Often make quick standards decisions

• Easiest or cheapest rather than strategic

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Benefits to Industry

Minimize safety hazards

Manage liability while reducing risk

Satisfy regulations and laws

Facilitate global trade

Cost savings by procuring readily available equipment at lower costs

Reduce internal company specifications

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ASTM Standards Impact the Global Economy

Standards facilitate trade and boost GDP

• The U.S. Commerce Department estimates that standards-related issues

impacted 80% of world commodity trade.

• In 2000, a German study found the direct economic benefit of standardization

was 1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

ASTM standards impact the global economy

• 84 countries from every region of the world reference ASTM standards in laws

or codes

• Over 400 ASTM standards references in European legislation since 2001

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Helping Industry Meet Global Challenges

ASTM’s MOUs with 76 developing countries

• MOUs facilitate the use of ASTM standards directly into the national portfolios and technical regulations

ASTM standards open doors and open markets

• Easier to export products made and tested to ASTM standards

• Technology transfer improves infrastructure for sourcing

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MOU Agreements by Region

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ASIA EUROPE LATIN AMERICA CARIBBEAN MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

AFGHANISTAN ALBANIA* BOLIVIA BELIZE BAHRAIN BOTSWANA

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM BOSNIA CHILE CROSQ EGYPT CONGO

CHINA BULGARIA COLOMBIA DOMINICA GCC (GULF STATES) ETHIOPIA

INDONESIA CROATIA COSTA RICA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

IRAQ GHANA

KOREA KAZAKHSTAN ECUADOR GRENADA ISRAEL KENYA

MALAYSIA ROMANIA* EL SALVADOR GUYANA JORDAN MAURITIUS

MONGOLIA RUSSIA GUATEMALA JAMAICA MOROCCO MOZAMBIQUE

NEPAL SERBIA HONDURAS ST. LUCIA OMAN NIGERIA

PAKISTAN PANAMA ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

PALESTINE RWANDA

PHILIPPINES PERU TRINIDAD & TOBAGO QATAR SADC

SINGAPORE NICARAGUA SAUDI ARABIA SOUTH AFRICA

SRI LANKA URUGUAY TUNISIA SWAZILAND

TAIWAN TURKEY TANZANIA

VIETNAM U.A.E. UGANDA

YEMEN ZAMBIA

ZIMBABWE

ASTM Message to Industry

ASTM standards meet World Trade Organization (WTO) criteria for “international standards”

• No WTO list of international bodies

• WTO recognizes multiple approaches to international standardization

ASTM supports industry needs to choose the best standard, regardless of the source

ASTM makes it easy to participate in international standards development

• Technology drives efficiency

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WTO Principles for Standards

ASTM International principles:

• Transparency

• Openness

• Impartiality and consensus

• Effectiveness and relevance

• Coherence

• Consideration of developing

nations’ views and concerns

WTO principles:

• Transparency

• Openness

• Impartiality and consensus

• Effectiveness and relevance

• Coherence

• Consideration of developing

nations’ views and concerns

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ASTM Corporate Outreach

ASTM is connecting to the business and manufacturing community

ASTM Board and Staff completed meetings with industry, trade associations, consumer groups, and other stakeholders around the world

• Washington, Stockholm, New York City, Moscow, Mexico City, Brussels, Beijing

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III. Questions and Discussion

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Contact Information Anthony Quinn,

Director, International Trade and Public Policy

aquinn@astm.org, 202 223-8484

Sarah Petre,

Manager, Federal and Industry Affairs

spetre@astm.org, 202-223-8399

1850 M Street, NW, Suite 1030

Washington, DC 20036 USA

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