Industry competitiveness heavily relies on effective harmonised standardisation

Europacable, together with other 17 European business organisations, call on the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council to urgently address the systemic bottlenecks which affect the European harmonised standardisation process. 

In an open letter to Minister Pedro Siza Vieira, the signatories deplore the European Commission’s over-prescriptive approach to EU harmonised standards and their treatment of standards as an “extension of EU law” rather than a market-driven implementation tool. Such approach impedes the delivery of state-of-the-art solutions in a timely and cost-efficient manner to the European businesses and consumers. And as a result, it is damaging a system which is at the core of the success of the Single Market for goods and jeopardising its functioning.

Against this background, the EU Council Presidency could and should urgently address this issue as the key topic affecting European industry competitiveness which would have serious implications also in terms of European global competitiveness and international trade.

In particular, the 18 European business organisations call for a workable solution on standardisation that would serve both the policy objectives and market needs in an efficient way. Timely and effective harmonised standardisation in the EU is crucial for the industry competitiveness.

To download the open letter, please click HERE