Council conclusions of 1 March 2002 on standardisation
Date: 2002-03-01
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: European standard, harmonisation of standards, international standard, standardisation

15.3.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 66/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS

of 1 March 2002

on standardisation

(2002/C 66/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

recalls its Resolution of 28 October 1999 on the role of stan-
dardisation in Europe (1);

welcomes the intention of
paper on standardisation and the protection of
environment.

the commission to develop a
the

Regarding the role of public authorities

welcomes the interim report (2) from the Commission on the
implementation of the Resolution and the progress reflected
in that report;

the Council

reaffirms the important role of standardisation for the internal
market and its growing contribution to different policies and
actions such as governance in the EU, e-Europe, the strategy
for sustainable development, and global trade and

ADOPTS THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS:

With regard to the principles of standardisation and the
responsiveness of European standardisation to market needs,

the council

notes the progress made by the European standards bodies
in diversifying their products range;

encourages the European standards bodies however to work
further on a graduated system of standardisation products,
relating them to market needs and providing information
so as to attract new customers, and analysing how to
transform products other
into
formal standards where appropriate;

than formal

standards

to

continue

reiterates its request to the Commission, on the basis of
progress made,
a
Community framework of principles for the use within
Community policies of specifications other than formal
features of
taking into account how the
standards,
specific products make those products suitable for certain
policy purposes and unsuitable for others;

reflections

on

its

reiterates the need for public authorities to acknowledge the
in particular by
strategic importance of standardisation,
maintaining a stable and transparent legal, political and
financial framework, in which standardisation can further
evolve, and for national standards bodies to continue to
support the functioning of the European standardisation
infrastructure and the attainment of common European
objectives;

the Commission has

notes with satisfaction that the Community has started to
apply the principles of the new approach in new areas
and that
launched a review of
certain aspects of the new approach, and encourages the
Commission to further explore the potential of the new
approach both within the Community and at the inter-
national level, systematically identifying both opportunities
and any limitations to be addressed.

With regard to the efficiency of the European standardisation
system,

the Council

welcomes the initiatives of the European standards bodies to
increase their efficiency, especially as regards shortening the
time taken to produce standards, and calls for an analysis of
the results of the initiatives undertaken,
inviting them to
exchange best practices;

reaffirms the appropriateness of harmonised standards in
areas convered at present by the new approach;

(1) OJ C 141, 19.5.2000, p. 1.
(2) COM(2001) 527 final (cid:151) 12172/01 MI 139 ECO 255 + COR 1.

for

construction products

welcomes the coming into being of the first harmonised
and requests
standards
the
European standards bodies and all
interested parties to
follow closely progress on standardisation work in
support of European legislation with the aim of completing
the harmonisation programme;

C 66/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

15.3.2002

invites the Commission to complete its analysis of standard-
isation mandates to allow for a better preparation and
monitoring of
standardisation work, and to
present to the Council the results of the study launched
impact of standard-
by the Commission on the overall
isation, as well as the results of other relevant studies;

relevant

the importance it attaches to the ability of all
stresses
relevant interested parties to participate effectively in stan-
dardisation, requests that national standards bodies ensure
the involvement of such parties in the process at national
level, and invites the European standards bodies to foster the
exchange of information with the relevant interested parties
at European level.

With respect to the financing of a viable European standard-
isation system,

the Council

the
the studies undertaken by some of
takes note of
and invites proposals
to
European standards bodies
address future challenges,
including an analysis of how
standardisation products and services satisfy the needs of
industry;

considers however that the viability of the overall standard-
isation system in Europe remains far from secure in the
light of a rapidly changing European and international
environment and of changes in the traditional sources of
income;

reiterates its requests therefore to the national and European
standards bodies and public authorities to examine ways in
which that viability can be better assured;

invites Member States to give constant consideration to the
resources provided to European standardisation, either
directly or via support to national standardisation;

invites the Commission to analyse the costs and benefits of
Community financial support to European standardisation
and how such support could be better targeted in order to
contribute to the stability of the financing of European
standards bodies.

full members of the European standardisation system; and
calls on the Member States to complement Community
technical assistance in this regard and to share information
on national assistance schemes for this purpose;

the Agreement;

welcomes the results of the second triennial review of the
WTO/TBT Agreement in particular in relation to principles
for the development of international standards to be used
importance of
under
technical assistance, including for the effective implemen-
tation of the Agreement amongst all WTO members, and
calls on Member States to share information on national
the
assistance
Community’s trading partners;

schemes with the Commission and

emphasises

the

interested parties,

welcomes the Commission staff working paper on European
policy principles on international standardisation (1), and
invites other
from the
Member States, EFTA, and the candidate countries to use
this document for guidance in their respective dealings,
recalling the long-standing cooperation and common stan-
dardisation policy objectives with the EFTA States;

in particular

invites the Commission and the Member States to continue
the promotion of standards-respective regulatory models
with the Community’s trading partners, such as those
developed by the UN/ECE, and to continue supporting
the implementation of appropriate measures by third
countries and other regions such as the Euromediterranean
region, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the
Mercosur and Asian regions.

With regard to the ongoing measures being taken by the
Commission, by the European standards bodies and their
members and by the Member States,

the Council

Concerning the enlargement of the EU and the international
dimension of standardisation

requests the Commission to present a further report by June
to the Council
2003 on the actions
Resolution of 28 October 1999;

taken pursuant

the Council

notes with satisfaction the progress made by the candidate
countries and their national standards bodies in becoming

will keep the subject of standardisation under constant
review.

(1) SEC(2001) 1296 (cid:151) 11876/01 MI 131 ECO 239.