Role of CEN and CENELEC in support to SMEs Bardo Schettini Conference Better Access of SMEs to standardization Prague 6 May 2009

content The actors Why SMEs should participate in the standardisation process? Encouraging participation in standard making process Encouraging understanding of SMEs needs in standard making process Encouraging SMEs access to standards Bardo Schettini

content The actors Why SMEs should participate in the standardisation process? Encouraging participation in standard making process Encouraging understanding of SMEs needs in standard making process Encouraging SMEs access to standards Bardo Schettini

European Standardization: The actors The European Committee for Standardization The European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization The European Telecommunications Standards Institute Bardo Schettini

CEN & CENELEC Geographical Dimension 30 Members 27 EU Members 3 EFTA Countries and Affiliates Cooperating Partners Associate Members  CENELEC has got 30 Members: They are the National Electrotechnical Committees from the 27 Member countries of the European Union and the other 3 coming from EFTA: this is Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Within the framework of Wider Europe (the European Commission’s European Neighbourhood Policy), CENELEC has engaged in promoting European electrotechnical standardization in neighbouring countries. We already count 8 Affiliates (in purple on the map): (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine) 38 Cooperating Partners have joined us over the years. Bardo Schettini

The role of the CEN & CENELEC Members Represent all national stakeholders: industry, authorities, social partners, consumers Ensure consensus building at national level Appoint national experts to participate in standardization work Commit to implement European standards identically at national level Withdraw conflicting national standards The National Electrotechnical Committees represent all national stakeholders and their primary task is to ensure that the national position is brought into European Standardization. They ensure a real consensus building at national level. They are also responsible for appointing experts to participate in the standardization work done at European and international level. CENELEC Members commit themselves to participating in the European standardization work and to implement European standards identically at national level. On top of that, National Committees have to withdraw conflicting national standards. This is extremely important as it reflects a thorough commitment from the Members and this is what ensures that we have a Single Market. Bardo Schettini

Why should SMEs participate in the standardisation process? The actors Why should SMEs participate in the standardisation process? Encouraging participation in standard making process Encouraging understanding of SMEs needs in standard making process Encouraging SMEs access to standards Bardo Schettini

Why should SME participate in standardisation process? 5 good reasons: 1. competitiveness of European Industry 2. improvement of the EU single market 3. environmental protection and sustainable development 4. Improvement of access to world markets 5. Facilitating innovation and interoperability Bardo Schettini

Why SMEs should participate in the standardisation process? The actors Why SMEs should participate in the standardisation process? Encouraging participation in standard making process Encouraging understanding of SMEs needs in standard making process Encouraging SMEs access to standards Bardo Schettini

Encouraging participation in standard making process Direct participation of SMEs Experts in national “Mirror” committees Experts in national delegations to CEN/CLC Indirect participation via National Associations Governance matters Representation in national “Mirror” committees Secretariat role Bardo Schettini

Encouraging participation in standard making process Facilitating access to working documents IT systems:

Encouraging participation in standard making process Facilitating access to working documents IT systems:

Why SMEs should participate in the standardisation process? The actors Why SMEs should participate in the standardisation process? Encouraging participation in standard making process Encouraging understanding of SMEs needs in standard making process Encouraging SMEs access to standards Bardo Schettini

Encouraging understanding of SMEs needs CEN-CENELEC Guide on SME To provide advice to technical bodies on specific issues of significance for SMEs In cooperation with NORMAPME (convenor of the CEN/CENELEC BT/Working Group) Guide finalised and to be approved by BTs Bardo Schettini

Encouraging understanding of SMEs needs CEN & CENELEC “SME Access Project” Recommendations to improve access and to propose solutions to improve access of SMEs and reduce financial impact. Deliverable: June 2009 Involvement of National Standards Organizations and key stakeholders Bardo Schettini

Encouraging understanding of SMEs needs SMEST - External visibility and promotion project to assist SME in Europe (EC funded) Toolkit to promote the involvement of SMEs in standardization 2 days training in 12 Member States: train the trainers + training to SMEs (Czech Rep. Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia Romania) Bardo Schettini

Encouraging understanding of SMEs needs SMEs and eBusiness – a new CEN Group Best practices and practical applications in the use of eBusiness standards for European SMEs Focussing on the use of eBusiness and eBusiness standards Courses and tutorials Bardo Schettini

Why SMEs should participate in the standardisation process? The actors Why SMEs should participate in the standardisation process? Encouraging participation in standard making process Encouraging understanding of SMEs needs in standard making process Encouraging SMEs access to standards Bardo Schettini

Encouraging SMEs access to standards Provide better access to the Abstracts/scope of standards Action coordinated with NORMAPME Abstracts/Scope of the standards will be made available via web sites CEN & CENELEC Web search engines available National Members’ web sites Bardo Schettini

Bardo Schettini

Bardo Schettini

Encouraging SMEs access to standards CEN & CENELEC information and raising awareness activities SMEs and Standards: Guide to the European Standardization Process Under consideration: CEN-CENELEC Helpdesk for SMEs Bardo Schettini

Encouraging SMEs access to standards Members’ commercial offers to promote purchase of standards, ex: Offers on collection of standards, Advice, Training… Bardo Schettini

Acting Director Business & Administration Thank you Bardo Schettini G. CENELEC Acting Director Business & Administration corporate@cenelec.eu infodesk@cen.eu Bardo Schettini