Greater EU competitiveness through a swift and effective regulatory system
CEN and CENELEC’s reservations regarding the proposal to revise Regulation 1025/2012
Key points
On Tuesday, the European Commission, recognising that the current standardisation system is struggling to keep pace with technological developments, proposed modernising the European standards system to make it faster and better equipped to support the EU’s strategic interests, thereby increasing the representation of small and medium-sized enterprises. The aim is to revise the current legislation, EU Regulation 1025/2012 on European standardisation.
The measures the Commission would like to put in place – including clearer deadlines for the drafting of standards and the use of external technical specifications subject to certain conditions and safeguards – should reduce the average time taken to draft a standard from six to four years. Easier and more inclusive access for representatives of SMEs, civil society, academia and public authorities in the standardisation process, as well as strengthened EU coordination on international standardisation, are further steps in this proposed revision, which must now be examined by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU before adoption and subsequent entry into force.
Cen and Cenelec’s concerns
Although the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (Cenelec) support the aim of making European standardisation faster and more effective, they highlight how various elements of the proposal risk weakening the very system it is intended to improve. The reform should aim to strengthen, rather than fragment, the system that Europe has established for itself and which underpins its strength and competitiveness. For decades, this model of public-private partnership – which is independent and consensus-based – has brought together industry, SMEs, public authorities, consumers, researchers and civil society stakeholders through participation at national level.
According to CEN and CENELEC, therefore, the legislative debate should focus on four priorities:
- maintain an independent and reliable system;
- tackle delays and slowdowns;
- avoid parallel tracks and fragmentation by building on existing structures;
- make access to legislation sustainable, reliable and widespread.
Ultimately, the revision of EU Regulation 1025/2012 should strengthen the elements that make European standardisation a key factor for competitiveness: independence, consensus, national participation, financial sustainability and global application.
