NEWS

Brussels, 17 March - In 2023, the Single Market celebrates its 30th anniversary. The CEN and CENELEC community is happy to join the European institutions in this important celebration, and looks forward to harnessing the full power of standards to ensure the Single Market continues delivering on its promises for all Europeans. 

This Position Paper has been prepared by CEN and CENELEC in reply to the European Commission’s consultation on past, present and future European R&I programmes with the aim of providing input on pre-normative research needs which could contribute to shaping the strategic orientations for the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027.

On the 16th of March, the European Commission released the proposal for the Net-Zero Industry Act. CEN and CENELEC welcome the Commission’s proposal to strengthen European Green Industry and are excited to see how standardization can continue to foster innovation in clean technologies.

Critical Raw Materials play an important role in today’s global economy. Minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and copper are essential components in a wide set of strategic sectors, including the net zero industry, the digital industry, aerospace, and defence sectors. For this reason, they are fundamental to ensure the long-term success of the European Union’s strategic priorities, such as the twin digital and green transitions and its strategic autonomy.

On 22 March 2023, SIST, the Slovenian Institute for Standardization, hosted an event on Regulations and Standards attended by 30 students from a local High School. During a three-hour programme, SIST presented standardization through interesting videos and learning materials on standards related to the school environment and free time activities, and involved the students to actively contribute to the topic preparing interactive lectures and a workshop.

The so-called European CSRD Directive (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive 2022/2464) has a significant impact on every business. It foresees the obligation to draw up a Sustainability Statement on their social and environmental impact for all companies whose securities are traded in regulated markets. Consequently, this requirement is not limited to large companies, but it also includes many SMEs (with the sole exception of micro-enterprises).

The twin green and digital transitions open new opportunities for the European economy and for European citizens. But does Europe have what it takes? How can we make sure that it has the skills and the workforce to remain competitive in the global economy? And what is the role of standardization?

Last year, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution calling on the Commission to “propose a common legal framework to ensure fair remuneration for traineeships and apprenticeships in order to avoid exploitative practices”, following a campaign by the ETUC Youth Committee (see ETUC press release of 10 November 2022). The issue of internships is now on the European Commission’s Work Programme for 2023.

The European Commission has published a new Code of Practice on standardization for researchers. The Code provides a set of recommendations to beneficiaries of public-funded research and innovation programmes on how to valorise project results through standardization. The recommendations also target universities and public research organizations, policymakers, and standard development organizations (SDOs).

The new issue of the CEN-CENELEC newsletter 'On The Spot' is out now!