European standardisation committees urge flexible system

At the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) and European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) General Assembly, held in Lemesos, Cyprus on June 26 and 28 respectively, the Malta Standards Authority was represented by its director (standardisation), Ing. Francis Farrugia.

The main conclusion from these general assemblies was that an open, flexible, dynamic European Standardisation System should be formed to strengthen the values and principles of European standardisation and be able to meet the challenge of emerging technologies in an ever more globalised world.

The Cyprus decision represented the conclusion of an initiative to shape the future landscape of European standardisation. First actions to be implemented focus on ensuring the cost-efficient and effective use of resources to better deliver European standards and other European standardisation products more efficiently, to support market innovation, achieve both a coherent approach to standardisation in new areas, including converging technologies and a consistency in standards development.

The general assembly agreed to establish a European Standardisation System Group tasked with achieving more streamlined rules for the development of European standards, with particular attention to the involvement of all stakeholders, and to create a high-level mechanism to solve the technical issues that arise from the standardisation of emerging and converging technologies.

The assembly agreed to establish a common European Standardisation System committee to consider external issues and to create the function of a European standardisation system office that would lead its activities.

The assembly also decided to explore what should be the future attitude of the European Standardisation System to conformity assessment and how the initiatives of the European Commission and EFTA to strengthen market surveillance can best be supported.

It was also decided to enhance the promotion and branding of the European Standardisation System to improve the recognition of European standards and to attract new business sectors in the further development of the system to the benefit of all European stakeholders and citizens. A special working group to develop the tools for a promotional campaign would also be set up.

Through these actions, CEN and CENELEC will increase the efficiency of the European Standardisation System, strengthen the support to the international standards bodies, and enable a united response to the challenge of supporting the long-term competitiveness of Europe within the global economy.