The High-Level Forum on European Standardization: an opportunity to strengthen the Single Market

The meeting, hosted by Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, brought together 50 high-level representatives from industry, policy, civil society, and standardization. CEN and CENELEC were represented, respectively, by CEN President, Stefano Calzolari, and CENELEC President, Wolfgang Niedziella.

The High-Level Forum on European Standardization is designed to provide advice to the Commission in anticipating upcoming standardization priorities and contribute to the EU’s role as a global standard-setter. It seeks to bring together the variety of expertise that the European Union has in standardization and raise the profile of standardization issues to a wider audience.

The Forum has been introduced as part of the new European Standardization Strategy presented in February 2022 by the European Commission. The Strategy recognises the vital role that standardization plays in facilitating the European Single Market, fostering innovation, and enhancing Europe’s role in global trade.

As two of the officially recognised European Standardization Organizations (ESOs), CEN and CENELEC support the Strategy and are ready to work with all stakeholders, Member States, and the Commission in the consolidation of European expertise in standardization and in the definition of its future, to the benefit of the EU.

In participating to the High-Level Forum, Stefano Calzolari, President of CEN, said: “Standards have always been an important element for Europe, as the success of the Single Market, which this year is celebrating its 30 years anniversary, testifies. Now, we must look at the next 30 years taking care especially of the most innovative projects to ensure Europe’s strength and the well-being of citizens. We need standards that are developed at the right time, at the right level, with the right speed. On this, this High-Level Forum provides an opportunity to work together and build the future of standardization”.

Wolfgang Niedziella, President of CENELEC, commented: “In the current global environment, a resilient Single Market supported by a robust European Standardization System is key. The High-Level Forum will be crucial to help us identify standardization priorities to deliver on the twin digital and green transitions and a competitive Single Market. We can help Europe play a strategic role at the global level, leveraging our relations with ISO and IEC, the international standardization organizations”.