ANEC appointed to High-Level Forum on Standardization

Mr Jewell welcomed the creation of the Forum, noting that ANEC had proposed such a roundtable in its comments of summer 2021 on the roadmap for the Standardisation Strategy. He recalled that inclusiveness – or facilitating the participation of all stakeholders – is unique to the European Standardisation System. ANEC, as the collective voice of European consumers in standardization, appreciates that inclusiveness is central to both the Standardization Regulation and the new Standardization Strategy. ANEC sees it as a win-win for both economic and societal stakeholders. He added that a European standard that meets the needs of both business and society can give European products and services a head start on the global stage. In our view, it followed that there is advantage in European stakeholders in sitting together around the table and considering the new direction of standardisation policy. He concluded by underlining ANEC’s commitment to the work ahead.

Moreover, in preparation to the meeting, all three of ANEC’s Sherpas joined the first meeting of the Sherpa sub-group on 10 January. Noting the Commission’s comment that a strategic approach needs to be brought to priority-setting, they shared the view that the High-Level Forum could be responsible for setting high-level principles and criteria as to whether work in the EU strategic interest should be developed in CEN and CENELEC, or offered directly to ISO/IEC. They also voiced the concern of broader civil society by stressing ANEC’s expectation for European standards to respect European values, especially in the digital area.

Finally, ANEC Director-General Stephen Russell was one of the speakers at the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) hearing on Standardization in the Single Market on 23 January. He shared ANEC’s views on current challenges, strategic priorities and future developments in European standardization, ahead of the IMCO own-initiative report, "A standardization Strategy for the Single Market". Although applauding the role of the New Legislative Framework (NLF) – and its reference to standards - in continuing to consolidate the Single Market, he expressed concern at the application of the NLF to topics such a mental health and the Charter of Fundamental Rights in legislation such as the AI Act. He said such sensitive topics should be addressed directly by regulation.