Extending standardisation benefi ts to SMEs

Standardisation is one of the pillars of the European Union’s single market. It enables manufactured goods, once they have met agreed standards, to be sold across the continent without having to satisfy other formalities. For various reasons, small and medium-sized enterprises are not suffi ciently involved in the process. Nor do they reap the full benefi ts. The Commission believes it is now time to correct these defi ciencies and develop a new partnership between standards organisations and SMEs.