EFTA represented at High-Level Conference on European Standardisation

The event was part of the series of actions organised in the context of the Romanian Presidency of the European Council, and its purpose was to provide insight into the latest developments and on the future of European standardisation.
The first part of the conference was entitled “Views on challenges and opportunities within the Single Market and standardisation beyond 2020” and provided an overview of strategic issues and information on the Single Market and standardisation initiatives. Mr Henri Gétaz, Secretary-General of EFTA, was one of the panelists in this session. In his intervention, Mr Gétaz emphasised the involvement of the EFTA States as full members of the European standardisation system and the importance of constructive dialogue between all stakeholders.
The second part of the conference focused on “Globalisation and new trends – challenges and opportunities for the Single Market and standardisation beyond 2020”. This session focused on the lessons learned so far from the standardisation process, its fields, its actions and its place in securing the future, in order to enable Europe to strengthen its driving force in international standardisation involving the presence of the United States and China.
The high-level conference brought together legislators, representatives from industry (including SMEs), as well as other stakeholders, to discuss a variety of topics, such as the benefits of standardisation to the future of the Single Market, its contribution to the digitalisation of the European economy, and how to improve awareness of standardisation among public authorities and academia.
The European Joint Initiative for Standardisation, signed three years ago in Amsterdam, under the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union, was celebrated as a focal point of this conference.
The conference was attended by participants from over 50 countries, showing the global interest in standardisation and the Single Market.