On Tuesday 12 July, MEPs highlighted the inclusive nature of the decision-making process for European standardisation organisations’ decisions on European standards by overwhelmingly supporting (43 votes in favour, 1 against) the report by Svenja Hahn (EPP, Germany) in the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO).
“Standards are technical details, but can also be a political instrument. Concerning the amendment of Regulation 1025/2012, the European Parliament supports the Commission’s overall approach while further adding political aspects and clarifications”, the rapporteur told EUROPE.
“The compromise reached is an important step towards the implementation of the EU standardisation strategy. The standard setting must remain a process that involves a broad basis of stakeholders. In addition, we are continuing our efforts to ensure that European public interests and values are not undermined”, she added.
The issue of inclusiveness and openness of the consultation process was indeed recurrent during the exchanges in the parliamentary committee, notably on the side of the Greens/EFA and the Socialists (see EUROPE 12954/26). Thus, among the compromise amendments, all of which were adopted, MEPs emphasise the need to ensure a “balanced representation” of stakeholder interests. In particular, they put forward the interests of SMEs, environmental, social and consumer interests. Their role should be strengthened, they say, through a “multi-stakeholder” approach.
In their opinion, the views and input of stakeholders should be taken into account in the European standards bodies in the same way as the decisions of the national standards bodies should reflect the results of stakeholder consultation.
In general, the parliamentarians stressed the need for decisions on European standards following mandates from the European Commission to be taken by the national standards bodies of the Member States of the European Union, but also of the European Economic Area (EEA). However, as in the Council, the body of the text remained largely unchanged by parliamentarians.
In the Council, the Member States adopted their position at the beginning of May, also modifying the European Commission’s proposal (see EUROPE 12953/13) to the margin. Inter-institutional negotiations should therefore be launched shortly. No date has been communicated to us at this time. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)