CEN-CENELEC PRESS RELEASE

Brussels, 26 September 2012

The European Standardization Committees CEN and CENELEC have sent a message of congratulations to Lara Comi, an Italian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), who has won a prestigious award for her work on preparing and coordinating the Parliament’s contribution to the development and adoption of a new legislative framework for standardization at European level.

Lara Comi was presented with the MEP Award 2012 in the category 'Internal Market and Consumer Protection' at a ceremony in Brussels on Tuesday evening (25 September). The MEP Awards is an annual event organised by The Parliament Magazine. The winners in 19 categories are chosen by means of a secret vote that is open to all 753 MEPs.

Elena Santiago Cid, Director General of CEN and CENELEC, has sent a message of congratulations to Ms Comi on behalf of CEN and CENELEC.  In this message she wrote: “This award is a clear recognition of your hard work during the last year in relation to the new regulation on European standardization, and it also shows how much you are respected by your colleagues. We look forward to continuing our cooperation with you and with the other members of the IMCO Committee in the coming years.”

In July 2011, Lara Comi was appointed by the IMCO* Committee to be in charge of preparing the Parliament’s response to the European Commission’s Proposal for a Regulation on European Standardization. Together with Malcolm Harbour, Chair of IMCO, she took the initiative to organise a public hearing on 23 November, which allowed for an open exchange of views with the European Standards Organisations and other interested parties.

Drawing on a previous report that was drafted by Edvard Kožušník MEP in 2010, Ms Comi prepared a report that was adopted by the IMCO Committee on 21 March 2012. She then took part in the negotiations with the Council and the Commission to reach an agreement on the proposed regulation by the end of May. This agreement was unanimously endorsed by the IMCO Committee on 21 June, and the amended legislative text was also approved by a massive majority at the Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg on 11 September.

The final text of the new regulation will have to be formally approved by Ministers at the next meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council, in Luxembourg on 10-11 October.

* IMCO: The European Parliament’s Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Notes

The European Commission published its Proposal for a Regulation on European Standardisation - COM(2011)315 - on 1 June 2011. The original text of the proposal can be found on the European Commission (Enterprise and Industry) website

The text of the Legislative Resolution that was adopted by the European Parliament on 11 September 2012 can be accessed via the European Parliament website

See also the previous press release issued by CEN and CENELEC on 11 September 2012: CEN and CENELEC welcome decision by Members of European Parliament to approve new EU Regulation on European Standardization

The full version of this press release can be found on the CEN-CENELEC website:

http://www.cencenelec.eu/news/press_releases/Pages/PR-2012-15.aspx

Ben CARLIN
Editorial Project Manager - Communication

CEN CENELEC Management Centre

Avenue Marnix 17, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

Tel: +32 2 550 08 32 - Fax: +32 2 550 08 19

bcarlin@cencenelec.eu

Twitter: @CENCLCpress