1. European standardisation and SMEs
Launch of the SBS Lift Forum on standardisation
13/12/2017
European standardisation and SMEs
Annalisa Tessarolo
Legal Officer
DG GROW

2. Importance of standardisation
in major EU policies
Single Market Strategy
Better Regulation Package
Digital Single Market
Renewed Industrial Policy Strategy

3. SMEs' importance in Europe
- Backbone of Europe's economy
- 99% of all businesses in the EU
- In the past five years, SMEs have created around 85% of new jobs and provided 2/3 of the total private sector employment in the EU
- Key for economic growth, innovation, job creation and social integration in the EU

4. SMEs should be involved in standardisation!
Many benefits
Standards can help:
● reduce costs
● improve innovative capacity
● enhance competitiveness
► The Commission supports SMEs‘ participation in the standardisation process and aims to raise awareness about their involvement.

5. What does the EC have to do with standardisation?
Coordinates the standardisation policy and cooperates with the different stakeholders
Promotes the use of European standards to support EU legislation and policies for the sake of competitiveness and safety
Formulates the standardisation requests
Prepares the Annual Union Work Programme for standardisation
Funds certain actors of the system, including the organisation representing SMEs in European standardisation

6. N.B. Who pays for standardisation?
European standardisation
is mainly financed
by industry ( %)
Followed by
National goverments (3 – 5%)
EC/EFTA (2%)

7. Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 (1)
Better communication & transparency for the EC:
Annual Union Work Programme for European standardisation (planning future mandates and strategic priorities, Art. 8)
Better inclusiveness of standardisation processes:
Stakeholder participation in ESOs (Art. 5)
SME access for NSBs (Art. 6)
Participation of public authorities for Member States (Art. 7)

8. Union financing of European standardisation
Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 (2)
Union financing of European standardisation
Financing ESOs (and NSBs for joint actions) and other bodies co-operating with them
Financing European stakeholder organisations
SBS receives funding for:
the functioning of the organisation
participation in technical work through experts
promotion dissemination and awareness-raising activities

9. Beyond the Standardisation Regulation: Joint Initiative on Standardisation
● Non-legislative initiative to improve governance, interaction and communication to improve the ESS
● Vision supporting the Juncker priorities + 15 actions to be delivered by 2019
● Driven by stakeholders - EC coordinating and bringing together all participants
● More than 120 signatures/endorsements
● SBS signed and is the lead for action 15 " Improve the representation of the interests of SMEs in Europe in international standardisation processes"

10. DO NOT FORGET TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
Thank you
for your attention!
Any questions?