The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee of the European Parliament (IMCO) today adopted a Legislative Report on the revision of the present regulatory framework for European Standardisation.

ANEC welcomes the adoption of the Report and its measures to strengthen the voice of consumers in the European Standardisation System.

ANEC Secretary-General, Stephen Russell, commented, “We congratulate the Rapporteur for the Report, Lara Comi, and her Shadow Rapporteurs on their hard work in achieving a text that seeks to strengthen representation of weaker stakeholders in the development of European standards”.

“The Single Market for products is founded on the support that technical standards have given to the implementation of European legislation since 1985*. Now the intention is to extend this formal use of European standards to cross-border services, and to achieving strategic goals of the European Commission, such as the future European Accessibility Act and the Digital Agenda. However, as the European Standardisation Organisations** are private bodies, there is need to ensure the public interest is represented through financial and political backing from the European Institutions. ANEC welcomes the aim of the Report to provide a permanent legal basis for the funding of weaker stakeholder groups in the European Standardisation System, including consumers, and to set expectations for their future positioning within the European Standardisation Organisations.”

The Report will now be put to a plenary vote of the European Parliament in May. It is hoped that an accord will be reached with the European Council for the adoption of a Regulation on first-reading.

* Through the New Approach to Technical Harmonisation and Standardisation of 7 May 1985

** CEN (www.cen.eu), CENELEC (www.cenelec.eu), ETSI (www.etsi.org)

ENDS

ANEC in brief

Raising standards for consumers

ANEC is the European consumer voice in standardisation, defending consumer interests in the processes of technical standardisation and conformity assessment as well as related legislation and public policies. ANEC was established in 1995 as an international non-profit association under Belgian law and represents consumer organisations from 31 European countries. ANEC is funded by the European Union and EFTA, with national consumer organisations contributing in kind. Its Secretariat is based in Brussels.

More information: www.anec.eu

Raising standards for consumers

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www.anec.eu