Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-05-16-Speech-2-356"
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"en.20060516.39.2-356"2
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"Madam President, Commissioner Verheugen, ladies and gentlemen. Why does a sheet of A4 fit into an envelope? Why do SIM cards work in all mobile phones? Why would it be helpful to have identical power points throughout the European Union? Once things like this function smoothly, they are so self-evident that we hardly notice them.
For such apparently simple things to happen, however, requires serious thought on somebody’s part, and this ‘somebody’ is the European standardisation system, which is made up of three European and 29 national standards organisations, and more than 60 000 experts. They draft European standards, which are agreed by consensus and are based on voluntary agreement.
Because the main function of common European standards is to remove technical barriers to trade and to promote the internal market, standardisation policy should be regarded a cornerstone of EU policy for meeting the targets of the revised Lisbon Strategy. For 20 years now European standardisation has, thanks mainly to the directives known as the ‘new approach’, greatly streamlined European legislation. Directives drawn up in the context of the new approach apply only to basic safety requirements, consumer protection and environmental protection. Technical requirements are set out in detailed technical standards. This, Commissioner Verheugen, is the correct way to achieve good European legislation.
When I worked as an architect, standards were a tool I used in my work. They provided me with a point of reference in designing, assessing and approving buildings. This was one of the reasons why I accepted the assignment of reporting to the European Parliament with a proposal to the European Commission on financing European standardisation. The aim of this decision is to put in place a consolidated legal framework for providing this financing.
Even though European standardisation is necessary for the functioning of the internal market, there has as yet been no legislative basis dedicated specifically to financing it. The EU’s contribution towards financing European standards is currently 2%, while national organisations contribute approximately 5%, and enterprises 93%, primarily by providing expertise. The Member States have their roles to play in technical standardisation, in that they have to ensure the adoption of European standards by the national systems. I am pleased that my country, Slovakia, has been among the quickest to transpose European standards thanks to the Slovak Technical Standards Act.
I am convinced that European standardisation is a system that will help to create a favourable business environment. Business representatives and other interested parties are becoming increasingly aware of the role technical standardisation plays in the business world. It must be a priority for Parliament to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises, and in particular micro-enterprises and trades enterprises are able to effectively use European standards. It is in the interest of the Union to contribute financially to the translation of these standards into all official languages, to make them equally and transparently accessible, in particular to small enterprises in the new Member States which lack the financial and human resources to translate specialist standards. It would be helpful for handbooks to be available to SMEs explaining the standards to them.
The seven-month discussions between Parliament, the European Commission, the Council and other interested organisations have convinced me that this problem has taken its rightful place in EU policy. In the approval process I supported all proposed amendments which helped to improve the Commission’s proposal. I am pleased with the enormous amount of assistance from all rapporteurs, and in particular the shadow rapporteur Edit Herzog and Paul Rübich, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy rapporteur who was asked to give an opinion. Please allow me also to thank the representatives of the Council and the Commission for their exemplary assistance and their wish to find a consensus right from the outset, allowing a financial framework for European standardisation to be found at the first reading. In conclusion I would like to express my conviction that my report and the support that Parliament has shown for it will lead to adequate financing for European standardisation, which will contribute to a simpler and safer life for all European citizens."@en1
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