Press Release: Commission for better standards to boost European competitiveness and promote consumers’ interest

Standards are a decisive tool in international competition. Consumers should not be obliged to change several chargers for their electronic devices. And a mass diffusion of electric cars will not happen without common standards for their recharge. Mobile phone or software companies are publicly showcasing their battle for the leadership of their respective standards. No doubt, a good standard can ease consumers' life, promote sustainability, enhance European competitiveness and technological leadership in global markets. The European Commission proposes today a series of legislative and non-legislative measures to develop more and faster standards.

Standards are sets of voluntary technical and quality criteria for products, services and production processes. Nobody is obliged to use or apply them but they help businesses work together and to save money for consumers. But in the past, it took several years to develop a European standard so that some standards have lagged too far behind rapidly evolving technologies. Consequently, certain sectors have been reluctant to engage in standardisation or are unable to benefit from the positive effects of standards.

The European Council of 4 February, in its conclusions on the "Innovation Union", invited the Commission "to make proposals to accelerate, simplify and modernize standardization procedures, notably to allow standards developed by industry to be turned into European standards".