Brussels, 16/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - On the occasion of the World Standards Day, on 14 October, the European Commission underpinned its attachment to international standards and welcomed the work undertaken in this field by the ISO (International Standards Organisation), the IEC (International Electro-Technical Committee) and ITU (International Telecommunications Union). "The European Union has always supported international standardisation as an important tool for the promotion of international trade and cooperation between people and companies world-wide. We have therefore developed a strong standardisation system in Europe closely related to international standardisation", declared Erkki Likkanen, European Commissioner responsible for business and the information society.
European standardisation bodies have defined clear rules in their cooperation with international organisations. "As a result, in the European Economic Area, today, only 10% of standardisation work leads to national standards, compared to 90% in the eighties", the Commission's spokesperson stipulated.