EU approaches to Standards and Conformity and Harmonisation

1

• EU approaches to Standards and Conformity and
  Harmonisation
• Stefano Soro

2
European Single Market

• The free movement of goods is a cornerstone of
  the Single European Market. Need to protect
  health and safety of users, consumers, workers,
  their property and the environment
• Over 500 million consumers

3
Essential requirements and standards interplay

• Essential requirements in Directives (law)
  state the desired outcome without specifying how
  it should be achieved
• For consumer products not otherwise regulated,
  the General Product Safety Directive provides the
  general principle without being prescriptive
• European Standards specify how to meet essential
  requirements
• The EU entrusts independent standardisation
  bodies with developing standards
• Standards are voluntary but, if the reference is
  published in Official Journal, presumption of
  conformity

4
Process

• Anyone who has a need can propose
• business, manufacturers, buyers, users,
  consumers, regulators, NGOs etc.
• If the EU wants to develop a standard, it gives a
  mandate to one of the EU standardisation bodies
  (CEN, CENELEC or ETSI) to carry out the work
• Volunteers and technical experts draft
• Coordinated through national members (can include
  reps from industry, SMEs, consumer organisations,
  environmentalists, users etc.)
• Work done in technical committees

5
Why is a European Standard so valuable?

• Shaped by those who contribute
• Open and transparent process
• Market driven
• Representation of all interested parties
• Reached through agreement
• 1 European Standard 31 national standards
  access to a market of 500 million people

6
Safety requirements identified under GPSD next
areas of standardisation in 2012

• Chair-mounted seats, childrens chairs,
  table-mounted chairs
• Alcohol-powered flueless fireplaces
• Cycle trailers
• Candles
• Infant swings, baby bouncers
• Activity centres
• Slings, soft carriers
• Laser products

7
Key societal challenges for the future

• Consumer protection
• Improved accessibility of disabled and elderly
  people
• Climate change
• Resource efficiency
• Security and civil protection
• Protection of personal data and individuals
  privacy

8
Industrial Policy and Innovation

• Clarifying and strengthening the relationship
  between standardisation and research
• Increased speed of standardisation
• Financial support to the ESOs tied to their
  efficiency

9
Inclusive standards development process

• Nowadays not all SMEs and societal stakeholders
  are sufficiently represented in the
  standardisation process
• The Commission will continue to financially
  support the participation of SMEs and societal
  stakeholders in European standardisation
• The Commission invites the Member States, the
  ESOs and the national standards bodies to try to
  accommodate the needs of all stakeholders

10
Services sector

• Although the EU economy is relying more and more
  on services, European standardisation in this
  field is lagging behind
• Standards have a great potential to improve
  interoperability and quality of services gt the
  wish is to use standardisation to support a
  single market for services in the same way as it
  is supporting the single market for goods

11
Standards to increase EU competitiveness

• Standards increase global exchanges
• Primacy of international standards
• European standards should resemble international
  ones as much as possible, and home-grown
  standards should be prepared only when
  international ones are lacking
• Proactive and leading role in the international
  standards bodies

12
International cooperation

• Main channel ISO
• Novelty The European Commission, together with
  product safety authorities from Australia, Canada
  and the US has launched a pilot project to find
  consensus on safety requirements
• The pilot project covers selected products which
  can be dangerous for children corded window
  coverings, chair-top booster seats, baby slings
• Currently staff discussions ongoing, with
  possible proposals to their agencies for
  endorsement