History
The concept of
a Semiconductor Council was created by a joint agreement
"Agreement Between EIAJ and SIA on International Cooperation
Regarding Semiconductors" signed on August 2, 1996
in Vancouver, Canada. At that time a preparatory committee
was established to work out the details of the Council's
methods of operation and to establish a charter consistent
with the principles established by the Vancouver agreement.
In a separate document executed by the Governments of Japan
and the United States, an annual meeting for industry to
meet with government was established.
From inception, the doctrines of respect for market principles
and support for free and open markets were established.
Accordingly, before membership consideration, a country
or region where the association is located must meet one
of two criteria regarding tariffs elimination. First, all
tariffs have been eliminated or; second, commitment to expeditious
elimination of all tariffs on semiconductors or suspension
of such tariffs pending their formal elimination has been
made.
The European Electronic Component Manufacturers Association
(EECA) and the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association
(KSIA) quickly applied to join the Council. Both associations
were successful in persuading their respective governments
to approve an expeditious plan for semiconductor tariff
elimination. Both EECA and KSIA accomplished this requirement
in time to join at the first meeting of the Council, which
was held in Oahu, Hawaii an April 11, 1997. At that inaugural
meeting, organized and hosted by EIAJ, the name "World
Semiconductor Council (WSC) was established.
WSC 1998 Happi wear with taruzake
(Left to Right)
| Enrico Villa |
EECA (General Manager, SGS=Thomson Microelectronics) |
| William P. Weber |
SIA (Vice Chairman, Texas Instruments, Inc.) |
| Norio Ohga |
EIAJ (Chairman and CEO Sony Corporation) |
| Chung Hwan Mun |
KSIA (Vice Chairman, LG Semicon Co., Ltd.) |
In April 1998, the second meeting of the WSC was held in Carlsbad, California and hosted by SIA. The 1999 meeting of the WSC was held in Fiuggi, Italy and hosted by EECA.
WSC 1998 in Carlsbad - Mountain and Golf course
(Left to Right)
| Michiyo Shindo |
EIAJ (Manager, General & Commercial Planning & Administration Div. Mitsubishi Electric Corp.) |
| Duke M. Koo |
KSIA (Senior Managing Director Sales & Administration, LG Semicon Co.) |
| James Mackin |
SIA (Marketing & Sales Vice President, Asia Pacific, Lucent Technologies) |
| Enrico Villa |
EECA (General Manager, SGS=Thomson Microelectronics) |
At the Fiuggi, Italy meeting, a new multilateral industry agreement, "Agreement Establishing a New World Semiconductor Council" was adopted. This ensured that the WSC would continue into the 21st century. At this meeting the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association (TSIA) was admitted as the fifth member.
The new multilateral agreement took effect on June 10, 1999 at the annual meeting of industry with the governments held in Brussels, Belgium. At that meeting a joint statement by government" Joint Statement Concerning Semiconductor by the European Commission and the Governments of the United States, Japan and Korea" was issued. This memorandum extended the annual meeting of industry with the governments that had been in place under the Vancouver accord of 1996 into the future.
Signing ceremony of the "Agreement Establishing the New World Semiconductor Council"
(Left to Right)
Chang-Seock
