The Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Parliament reached a final provisional agreement in the evening of Tuesday 9 June on several new measures in the ‘Omnibus IV’ legislative package on small and medium-sized enterprises, digitalisation and common specifications (see EUROPE 13884/13).
The new provisions on digitalisation and common specifications aim to digitalise existing physical requirements by applying the “digital by default” principle and to introduce a procedure allowing the Commission to draw up common specifications in several legal acts.
In addition, a new directive and a new regulation aim to extend certain simplification and support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to small mid-cap enterprises, according to a press release.
The new ‘Omnibus IV’ legislation amends 20 pieces of EU product legislation under single market rules on digitalisation and common specifications.
In particular, it provides for the digitalisation of the EU declaration of conformity, as well as exchanges between national competent authorities and economic operators, the press release adds.
It also gives manufacturers the possibility of providing users with instructions for use in digital format rather than on paper.
In addition, it introduces alternative solutions for proving a product’s compliance with EU rules via a ‘common specification’ instead of harmonised standards, although only in certain exceptional situations (see EUROPE 13795/11).
The text also ensures that, where there is a risk of serious harm to consumers, safety information is always available in paper form. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)