Marshalltown, Iowa, May 16, 2002 – Emerson Process Management has announced that six of its Fisher® control-valve manufacturing facilities worldwide have met a critical deadline for supplying equipment to process industries in Europe. Factories that manufacture Fisher valves in Marshalltown, Iowa, U.S. A.; Sherman, Texas, U.S. A.; North Stonington, Connecticut, U.S. A.; Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S. A.; Szekesfehervar, Hungary; and Cernay, France have received CE Certificate numbers¾ meaning that these locations are approved to produce equipment which complies with the essential safety requirements of the European Pressure Equipment Directive. These Fisher facilities have met the end of May 2002 deadline set by the European Union requiring that all applicable equipment (including Fisher control valves, instruments, and regulators) must comply with the Pressure Equipment Directive in order to be sold in Europe.

The European Union(EU) is a group of fifteen European countries forming a single market and a system for facilitating the free movement of goods and services across their respective borders. Together, these countries are producing a series of harmonized standards and consistent requirements for equipment safety to overcome trade barriers. The European Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) focuses on hazards caused by pressure equipment, and manufacturers worldwide must comply to continue to do business in Europe.

Compliance to the PED is indicated by a CE mark on the product. (The CE acronym is French for "European Conformity.") The mark is not an approval or indication of quality. Rather, it signifies that the product conforms to the essential safety requirements of the directive, which deals with both the product’s design and manufacturing system.

In June of 2000, a Fisher valves taskforce was established to study the law and determine compliance strategies. Compliance was achieved through changes in the way Fisher prepares technical files, procures materials, enters orders, and prepares and translates product documentation (instructions).

Though compliance will not be compulsory in Europe until May 2002, some of Fisher’s customers began demanding CE compliance in early 2001! After May 29, 2002, new control-valve constructions must bear the CE mark in order to be put into service within European processing and power plants. Fisher has been meeting the specific customer requests, and can now conform to the PED with all of their product range.

About Emerson Process Management

Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com), an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, power, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and other industries. A division of Emerson, Fisher Controls International LLC (www.emersonprocess.com/fisher) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and application of final control systems. Fisher’s technology and innovation in process control plays a key role in Emerson’s combining of superior products and technology with industry-specific engineering, consulting, project management and maintenance services. Emerson brands include: PlantWeb™ ; Fisher®; Rosemount®; Intellution®; Micro Motion®; Westinghouse Process Control; DeltaV™ ; and AMS.

St. Louis-based Emerson (www.gotoemerson.com) is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers in process control; electronics and telecommunications; industrial automation; heating, ventilating and air conditioning; and appliance and tools. Sales in fiscal 2001 were $15.5 billion.

Fisher, Rosemount, Intellution, Micro Motion, PlantWeb and DeltaV are marks of one of the Emerson Process Management family of companies. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Last Updated 03/13/08

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