Services

Services account for over 70% of the economic activity of the European Union. For this reason, the creation of a single market for services has become a top priority for Europe. Standardization is increasingly being used to support the development of the Single Market for services. The creation and use of European standards can contribute to fostering cross-border trade, as well as enhancing safety and performance to ensure the protection of consumers and the environment.

Standards can set benchmarks against which businesses can measure the quality and performance of their own services, or the services they are purchasing, thus improving transparency, competitiveness and increasing efficiency.

The European service standards are identified as tools that promote communication and build trust between customers and suppliers, thereby allowing for a better assessment of the customer’s requirements and enabling the supplier to provide a more appropriate response.

They are increasingly being used in professional qualifications, as they are also covering requirements on minimum competences of professionals that deliver services.