On the political agenda: participation in standardization activity

With around 1,500 European standards being drafted each year, the participation of all stakeholders is crucial if the standards are to meet with broad acceptance. In practice, however, this objective is not always attained. Two studies recently analysed the reasons for this and described possible measures for improvement.

The European study: “Access to standardization“ , commissioned by the European Commission and completed in March 2009, is based upon the results of a survey conducted in 26 European countries. 81 standards organizations and expert groups and 417 representatives of stakeholders commented on the relevance of standardization, the objectives pursued by it, and the obstacles to participation in the standardization process and to the application of standards.

The survey revealed differences between the various stakeholders‘ reasons for their participation in standards activity: they wish to ensure that the aspects of greatest relevance to them are suitably adopted in standards (particularly businesses and employers‘ associations); they wish to prevent potentially adverse content from being included in standards (trade unions and environmental protection groups); they wish to contribute to better formulation of standards (consumer organizations); or they wish to be informed at the earliest possible stage of new technical developments (large companies, research, testing and certifi cation bodies, consultants).

Participation in standardization activity presents environmental and consumer protection organizations and trade unions with the greatest diffi culties. The chief problems are considered to be the considerable time commitment, travel expenses, financial contributions for participation on standards committees, and the bureaucracy and complexity of the standardization system.

In the view of those questioned, the application of standards is made more difficult by the price of standards themselves, the cost of their implementation, and the numerous references to further standards. They do, however, also see major benefits: standards enable statutory provisions and customer requirements to be met, products and services to be offered which are up to date, market players to be engaged through clear and unambiguous communication, and products to be made compatible.

13 concrete recommendations for improved access to standardization (Refer to the conference publication (KAN Report 45 (pdf)) were derived from the study and are currently being discussed at the European Commission.

A study into measures for the support of SMEs in dealing with standards and the standardization process was commissioned in 2008 by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi). Small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) frequently fi nd it diffi cult to identify and apply the standards relevant to their sector and to assess their relevance for their own business activities. The study reveals seven areas for political measures by which SMEs may be supported in standardization:

• Stepping up of the provision of information, consultancy and training, in order to make the economic benefi ts and the scope for participation in standardization processes more widely known.
• Greater communication of knowledge on the subject of standardization in vocational training and university study.
• DIN‘s “KOMMIT“ small business commission is intended to serve as a central contact point and to provide information on new applications for standards and draft standards.
• Standards should be simpler and easier to understand. Overlap between standards and technical rules and regulations should be prevented or eliminated.
• The online comments portal for draft standards should be consolidated swiftly in order to facilitate the issuing of comments by SMEs. At the same time, scope should be examined for creation of an SME fund by which the participation of SMEs on working committees could be supported on an individual basis.
• Critical review and harmonization of DIN and DKE‘s pricing and licensing models.
• It is proposed that standards co-ordinators be appointed at all affected German national government ministries in order for the ministries‘ sponsorship programmes to be co-ordinated more effectively.

The scope for implementation of the proposals described in the study is currently being reviewed in the responsible committees of the BMWi.

Bettina Palka