1990 EC directive may become driving force

Amid the political turmoil surrounding the establishment of the European Economic Community (EC), a relatively unknown EC directive has assumed a growing importance for vendors of computer hardware and software. In May 1990, the Council of European Communities issued Directive 90/270, which lays down "minimum safety and health requirements for work with display terminals." The Annex to the directive states that, among other requirements, software must be suitable for the task, easy to use, and adaptable to the operator, and that the principles of software ergonomics must be applied. In spite of this somewhat ambiguous wording, EC member nations are required to adopt laws, regulations, and administrative provisions that comply with the directive by 31 December 1992.