The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is seeking feedback on a new revision of ISO/IEC Guide 14 on Product Information for Consumers. The International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) Policy Committee on Consumer Affairs (COPOLCO) developed ISO/IEC Guide 14, which provides general principles that are intended to make it easier for consumers to effectively compare products or services prior to purchase. ANSI is the U.S. member body to ISO and, via the U.S. National Committee, to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
The third edition cancels and replaces the second edition, ISO/IEC Guide 14: 2003.
The draft guide does not deal with conformity assessment, and includes the following main changes from the second edition:Improved scope and introduction;
Mention of new purchase information labeling tools, such as QR codes or RFID tags, available on the packaging of the product;
Relationship established with ISO/IEC Guide 37, Instructions for use of consumer products;
Relationship established with ISO/IEC Guide 41, Consumer needs in packaging;
Consideration of vulnerable persons' product information needs;
Content added on recycling and second-hand goods;
Improved treatment of risk, sustainability, and privacy issues;
Addition of new clauses on performance and conditions of use, dependability considerations;
Updating of references and addition of new ones to the bibliography; and
Deletion of purchase information bodies and purchase information systems (obsolete content).
The guide's primary purpose is to advise those responsible for drafting national or International Standards on what information prospective purchasers (whether products or services) require and expect. Additionally, it might assist those who write purchase information (e.g. suppliers), as well as enforcement authorities.
Relevant ANSI stakeholders are invited to send any comments they may have on the draft guide by close of business (COB) on Friday, January 6, 2017, to Steven Cornish, ANSI's senior director of international policy ([email protected]).
Based on the input received, the ANSI ISO Council (AIC) will then be asked to approve an ANSI position and comments to be submitted to ISO before its April 7, 2017, deadline for voting on this proposal.