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ANEC, ECOS and ETUI press release on the adoption of the Standardisation Regulation “Standards have to meet societal stakeholders’ needs”

Date

11 Sep 2012

Sections

Health & Consumers

ANEC, ECOS and ETUI welcome today’s adoption of the Standardisation

Regulation1 by the European Parliament. We applaud the commitment of

the Parliament to support the continued financing of the public interest

in the private European Standardisation System, and to set expectations

for the strengthening of the voice of societal interests in the standards

development process. We urge the Council to concur.

ANEC Secretary-General, Stephen Russell, commented, “European standards are

a foundation on which the Single Market has been built over the past 20 years.

But the three European Standardisation Organisations2 are private associations in

whose work the societal interest may not be naturally represented. We commend

the Institutions on recognising the value that societal stakeholders can bring to

the development of European standards, particularly noting the will of the Single

Market Act to extend the formal use of European standardisation to the field of

services, as well as to broader European public polices”.

ECOS Secretary-General, Laura Degallaix, remarked, “As societal stakeholders

tend to be absent from the standardisation process in most Member States, the

role of ANEC, ECOS and ETUI in complementing the voice of private sector

interests in the elaboration of European standards is essential. But we are at a

disadvantage in terms of financial support and influence. We trust the new

Regulation will help us in our mission to achieve standards that encourage

environmentally-friendly and sustainable solutions; that aim to improve

consumer protection and welfare; and that underpin health and safety in the

workplace”.

On behalf of ETUI, Stefano Boy added, “Although we congratulate the Parliament

on what it intends to achieve through the Regulation, we must work to ensure its

expectations are taken on board by the European Standardisation Organisations.

We call for ANEC, ECOS and ETUI to be allowed a more effective participation in

CEN, CENELEC and ETSI. This is needed to meet the clear wish of the Regulation

for the associations representing the societal stakeholders to be strengthened in

their role. We believe it implies the creation of a distinct category of membership

with appropriate rights and obligations”.

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1 http://tinyurl.com/3e3mulh

2 European Committee for Standardization (CEN) www.cen.eu;

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization(CENELEC) www.cenelec.eu;

European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) www.etsi.org

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Contacts:

ANEC Secretary General, Stephen Russell

The European Association for the Co-ordination of Consumer Representation in

Standardisation aisbl (ANEC)

Av. de Tervueren 32, box 27, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium - Tel: +32-2-743 24 70 -

Fax +32-2-706 54 30

e-mail: anec@anec.eu - internet: www.anec.eu

ECOS Secretary General, Laura Degallaix

The European Environmental Citizens' Organisation for Standardisation asbl

(ECOS)

Mundo B, Rue d’Edimburg, 26, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium - Tel: +32-2-894 46 55

- Fax: +32-2-894 46 55

e-mail: info@ecostandard.org – internet www.ecostandard.org

ETUI Senior Researcher, Stefano Boy

The European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)

Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 5 box 4, B-1210 Brussels - Tel: +32-2-224 04 70 -

Fax: +32-2-224 05 02

e-mail: etui@etui.org – internet: www.etui.org