For historical reasons, Single Market directives which govern not only the essential requirements for products, but also aspects of market surveillance, marking, and the notification of certification bodies, exhibit substantial differences and present scope for improvement in certain areas. The European Commission has presented a draft for a European legal instrument which is intended to improve and reinforce certain essential aspects.

Interview with Jacques McMillan, Head of Unit Legal aspects linked to internal market at the DG Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission

The European Commission intends to retain the principles of European standardization within the area subject to harmonization in the future. In the course of revision of the New Approach, however, standard practice is now to be supported by a statutory framework. For this purpose, the Commission intends to set out a uniform definition of the terms "harmonized standard" and "presumption of conformity".

As a regulatory concept, the New Approach has become an indispensable instrument for realization of the European Single Market. Great importance is attached in this context to accreditation. It is therefore only logical that the pending revision of the New Approach should also extend to accreditation. The emerging form of the European Commission's considerations regarding accreditation will be described below.

Within the efforts underway at international and European level to liberalize trade in services, standards governing them are considered an important element. Observance of an essential principle must however be ensured: requirements concerning protection of the health and safety of employees in other words, the providers of the services must be laid down outside standards.

The European Commission and the Member States are promoting improvements to market surveillance at a policy level. This development should be welcomed by the OH&S lobby. Experts from the ISSA Section Machine and System Safety have examined market surveillance structures in the area of machinery employed for commercial purposes. In the process, it has been established that market observation carried out by bodies other than the authorities is of decisive importance.