ANSI and NIST Convening Meeting on Biofuels Standardization in Advance of EU-US Summit

26 March 2007

The United States and the European Union have expressed strong interest in making biofuels a commodity for trade. Compatible standards will be among the chief topics of discussion at the upcoming EU-US Summit in Washington, DC, which intends to launch a new trans-Atlantic economic partnership aimed at harmonizing regulations, technical standards, environmental protection and trade security.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are inviting key US stakeholders to participate in meeting on Wednesday, 28 March, to develop input related to biodiesel and bioethanol standardization issues prior to the summit.

The input will be used to inform the US delegation to the EU-US Summit, as requested by the US Department of State. Participation in this event is free and open to all stakeholders with an interest in biofuels.

The meeting agenda will open with a brief overview of recent events that have helped to propel biofuels-related issues to the top of domestic and international trade discussions, including the International Conference on Biofuels Standards, the launch of the new US-Brazil agreement on biofuels, and the formation of the International Biofuels Forum—a six-party initiative between the United States, Brazil, China, South Africa, India and the European Union. Participants will then engage in an open discussion of key issues leading to the formulation of formal action items and next steps.

Due to space limitations, advance registration is required. Interested stakeholders are encouraged to register online for in-person or teleconference participation.

The meeting will be held in the Continental C conference room at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC.