Liikanen ensures involvement of SMEs in European standardisation process
Erkki Liikanen, EU commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society, has agreed a one-year contract with SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) representative bodies to better involve smaller businesses and manufacturers in the process of defining European technical standards. Over 1,000 new European standards are adopted each year. Many of them are designed to help manufacturers meet legal, health and safety requirements, and to protect them from product liability. Most SMEs, however, do not have the resources or awareness to participate in the definition of standards at a national or European level. Mr Liikanen said 'It is in everyone's interests to have the best possible technical standards, widely acceptable to markets in and beyond Europe. The acceptability of standards largely depends on fully involving all interested parties, including SMEs, in their development. The Commission has concluded the agreement with a consortium of UEAPME (union of European associations of SMEs), whose membership represents every EU Member State and most candidate countries, and NORMAPME (European office of craft-trades and SMEs for standardisation), who have a great deal of expertise in the field. Specifically, Commissioner Liikanen has asked the consortium to provide the following services: - Provide information to SMEs and craft businesses on standardisation, certification and EC marking, and organise feedback; - Organise SMEs' and craft enterprises' participation in national and European standardisation bodies; - Participate in strategic meetings, committees and conferences on standardisation to promote SME interests; - Diffuse the relevant information extensively via website, newsletter etc.; - NORMAPME will report to the Commission on a regular basis on these services. A number of standardisation bodies and Member States have sought to involve SMEs in the process before, but situations vary widely across the EU. The Commission feels that the ability of small enterprises to turn standards to their advantage is one of the keys to their success, and that programmes like this are needed to ensure Europe's future competitiveness.