Brussels, 17 February 2012 - The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) have today signed a cooperation agreement with the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).  This agreement provides a basis for closer collaboration on various aspects of standardization, which will facilitate trade in goods and services between Europe and Canada.

The CEN-CENELEC-SCC Cooperation Agreement has been signed by the Presidents of the three organisations and was formally concluded at a ceremony in Brussels this morning (17 February) in the presence of: Elena Santiago Cid, Director General of CEN and CENELEC; John Walter, CEO of the SCC; David Plunkett, Canadian Ambassador to the European Union; representatives of the European Commission and other interested stakeholders.

Under the agreement, CEN, CENELEC and SCC commit themselves to working together through targeted dialogues on issues of joint interest and cooperating in the framework of the International Standards Bodies: ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). By promoting the harmonisation of standards at international level, they also seek to facilitate Trans-Atlantic trade, notably in the framework of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) that is currently being negotiated between Canada and the European Union (EU).

The SCC will cooperate with CEN and CENELEC on standardization activities in relation to a wide range of sectors including: aerospace, chemicals, construction, consumer products, energy and environmental technologies, medical devices and nanotechnologies.

Elena Santiago Cid, Director General of CEN and CENELEC, underlined the importance of the cooperation agreement for European businesses: “Canada is an important export market for European companies, whether they are selling goods – such as machinery, transport equipment and chemicals – or various kinds of services. By strengthening our cooperation with the SCC we can make progress on reducing technical barriers to trade, thereby creating more opportunities for big and small businesses to grow.”

John Walter, CEO of SCC, highlighted the benefits of the agreement: “Formalising the relationship with CEN and CENELEC will enable SCC to pursue enhanced cooperation on topics pertaining to standards and their application. Greater harmonisation of standardization activities in sectors of strategic importance expands the potential for economic growth and increased trade between Canada and Europe.”

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Ben Carlin

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CEN-CENELEC Management Centre

T: +32 2 550 08 32

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