BDI Position European Standardisation Strategy
Summary A strong European standardisation system is central to Europe's technological sovereignty. With the published standardisation strategy, the European Commission provides good approaches to take account of the international challenges and to eliminate weaknesses in the area of European-wide harmonised standards. A strategic analysis and prioritisation of international and European standardisation needs can increase Europe's competitiveness in international standardisation and coordinate priorities more efficiently. With the establishment of the High-Level Forum, the Commission is taking into account the increasing strategic importance of standardisation and the increased awareness at the political level. The explicit involvement of the standards organisations is not expedient from the industry's point of view. The linking of the forum to existing formats, such as the industry alliances, is expressly to be advocated. Redundant structures should be avoided at all costs. Stronger coordination and communication within the Commission is to be welcomed. A critical review and adaptation of the framework conditions for the commissioning, evaluation and citation of harmonised European standards is needed quickly. Against this background, we regret the lack of concrete proposals for process optimisation. The proposed procedure for the introduction of "Technical Specifications" contradicts the principles of the New Legislative Framework and considerably weakens the position of harmonised standards. A clear regulatory separation of legal requirements and technical implementation in the form of standards is needed. From the point of view of German industry, the three European Standardisation Organisations are doing a very good job and their processes are well adapted to the corresponding sectoral needs. We see no reason to revise the governance structures of the standards organisations. Likewise, no deficits can be identified for industry-relevant committees. We expressly welcome the proposed measures to secure the global competitiveness as well as the security and open strategic autonomy of the European Union. An increasing strategic orientation requires the analysis of the geopolitical situation and coordination of European interests in relevant international standard-setting bodies.
Federation of German Industries
German Lobbyregister Number R000534
Address Breite Straße 29 10178 Berlin Postal Address 11053 Berlin Germany Contact Simon Weimer, M.Sc. T: +49 30 2028 1589 F: +49 30 2028 2589 E-Mail: s.weimer@bdi.eu Internet www.bdi.eu
