Functions and Effects of European Standards: The Final Study – published at cemarking.net – May 18, 2022.
Subtitle: Study on the Functions and Effects of European Standards and Standardization in the EU and EFTA Member States.
Introduction
In 2021, the European Commission published its roadmap for a new standardization strategy. The aim of the new strategy is to address the challenges facing the European standardization system. During an 18-month period, different categories of stakeholders from EU and EFTA Member States were consulted as part of this roadmap. The main results are now published in this study.
The objective of The Study
First of all, it is good to report the following about the European Standards (EN) definition in this report. It is fully in line with the definition as it is in Regulation 1025/2012. This does not take into account:
- the European Standards are the adoption of international standards (identical or modified),
- the European standards are integrally developed at the European level.
The EC strives for better regulation and improved competitiveness of European industry. This study will support this endeavor. It highlights not only the strengths of European standards and standardization, but also the weaknesses. The key question here is what economic and societal effects the current standardization is having. 10 sectors have been selected on which this question is projected. The main methods of data collection are desk research and field research.
The outcome of The Study on the Functions and Effects of European Standards
The researchers conclude that a lot of value is generated by the European standardization system. Also in view of the two major transitions that the economy is currently going through: the digital and the green. The added value of European standards is recognized by almost all companies. It has a positive effect on several dimensions at sectoral level. It also shows that European standardization is a powerful tool to promote a more efficient and effective cooperation between different market participants within the value chain. Furthermore, it also benefits the exchange of technology between various market players.In addition, positive effects are highlighted in the following areas:
- it is a source of efficiency (such as resources, inventories, circularity of products),
- one can use it as a tool to reduce risks (for organizations, their employees, the environment or for consumers),
- compatibility between products, sectors or applications is better ensured
At the same time, the study also points out possible improvements to the European standardization system. Thus, 30 different recommendations are made for further modernization of the European standardization process.
Functions and Effects of European Standards: the Final Study – Links and Downloads
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