Standards

The debate over standards and standardisation is becoming an important part of the European political landscape. Standards may, at face value, seem like a straightforward, even boring, technical issue and one which is only of interest to citizens or consumers inasmuch as they can easily use their mobile phone, computer software or music player.

Yet the importance of standards goes much deeper and now extends to such broad issues as the ethics of how products are made in developing countries, whether standards can help to meet social and environmental goals like dealing with climate change and of course, on whether or not Europe is producing more innovation.

So what is a standard? Standards offer a shared language that technologies use to communicate with one another, allowing for greater interaction between products or components. This can mean improved interoperability, interconnectivity, and commoditisation – all buzzwords for a more beneficial market. Standards across different country borders can also break down barriers to trade and create a large common market for businesses and consumers to participate in, whilst also reducing the regulatory burden on companies.

For those interested in standards or who would like to find out more, this section assembles materials from recent events organised jointly by the Stockholm Network and Maastricht University, as well as a short policy briefing notes on standards which outlines some of the issues at the heart of the current debate.