Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.
On 6 October, the European Commission presented its proposal for a new EU regulation on standardization. The objectives are to make standards supporting EU legislation and policies available sooner, broaden access to standards and strengthen the Union’s influence in international fora. CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, the three European standardization organizations, would remain at the center of system, but with greater oversight and the possibility for the Commission to use alternative routes when the process in place cannot meet the required quality or deadlines.
The initial reactions are more a disagreement over the means than over the objectives. The Commission wants a more reliable, open and transparent system. On their side, standards bodies want to preserve the conditions that make voluntary standardization possible: consensus, expertise, institutional stability and sustainable funding.
These concerns are valid. But will this proposal mainly help Europe put its policies into practice, or will it also help Europe build the industrial strength needed to compete with other blocs in a context of geopolitical and geoeconomic competition?
