
Urgent action needed to align European and international standardisation
Europe’s technology industries need a properly functioning European Standardisation System to be competitive.
That’s why in 2023 Orgalim joined key stakeholders from industry, national authorities, standardisation organisations and civil society on the High-Level Forum on European Standardisation (HLF). The HLF’s work includes identifying standardisation priorities in support of EU policies and legislation and discussing issues such as international leadership, education and skills.
As part of the HLF activities, Orgalim has curated the drafting of a report on alignment between European and international standardisation, which HLF representatives validated on 16 December. In Orgalim's view, alignment between European and international standards is urgently needed to protect the competitiveness of our industries.
Among the recommendations included in the report, the HLF proposes establishing a research project to develop a systematic data collection framework and a shared methodology to monitor alignment and decoupling of European and international standards, which currently don’t exist.
The group also highlights the importance of adjusting the harmonisation process to strike a balance between legalistic procedures and efficiency. This will help achieve better alignment during standardisation development, avoid unnecessary deviations and ensure products comply with the essential requirements set out in legislation.
“Our industries need an aligned, coherent standardisation system to be competitive. Fixing the European Standardisation System will help businesses by reducing compliance costs, enhancing market access, removing trade barriers and enabling them to benefit from economies of scale as products can be sold globally,”
The EU has been a leader in setting international standards for over 30 years. This has helped its competitiveness and technological leadership. However, the rise of other regions in the international standardisation community has affected EU’s ability to lead in certain areas, causing divergences in standards for the EU market and damaging the competitiveness of our industries.
Now that the HLF’s report has been validated, Orgalim looks forward to its recommendations being implemented, starting with the development of a systematic data collection framework and a shared methodology to monitor alignment and decoupling. Having this framework in place will allow a correct assessment of the existing benefits and the risks associated with decoupling.
This assessment will be key to make informed decisions on possible consequences of structural decoupling in the future. In addition, a more balanced approach to the request, development and citation of harmonised standardisation will contribute to a functioning European Standardisation System.