The annual Union work programme for European standardisation for 2018

The Commission supports the voluntary application of standards and industry’s leading role in their development. At the same time, it considers as essential, to secure a high level of acceptance, that the standardisation process should benefit from the technical knowledge of industrial, governmental and scientific representatives and other stakeholders. The regulator can establish requirements in legislation and ask the European Standardisation System (ESS) to develop voluntary European standards which can be used for indirect reference and as a basis for a presumption of conformity or safety. An efficient standardisation system must therefore be based on close partnership between the regulator, standardisation bodies and industry.

The Commission set out a strategic vision for European standardisation in its 2011 Communication A strategic vision for European standards: moving forward to enhance and accelerate the sustainable growth of the European economy by 2020. This was given legal form in Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 on European standardisation, which has been in force since 1 January 2013.

The Regulation requires the Commission to identify strategic priorities for European standardisation. These priorities, which reflect the Commission’s policy objectives, are published in annual Union work programmes for European standardisation (AUWPs). The AUWPs indicate what standards and standardisation deliverables the Commission intends to request from the European standardisation organisations (ESOs), i.e. how it intends to use standardisation in support of new or existing legislation and policies and what formal standardisation requests (mandates) this may involve.

Standardisation requests are essential for the functioning of the single market, since standards enable the implementation of legislative acts. This generates legal certainty for manufacturers and facilitates the development and commercialisation of products and services.

The standardisation activity prioritised in this 2018 AUWP reflects a number of the current Commission’s policy priorities, and supports recently approved major legislation and policy documents. Further important elements include action to enhance the visibility of European standardisation in other countries and international organisations, and action to improve the functioning, performance and delivery of the ESS.

EUR-Lex: SWD(2017)284: Commission Staff Working Document on the implementation of the actions foreseen in the annual Union work programme for European standardisation for 2018 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2017:284:FIN

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