The European Union possesses one of the most advanced and credible standardisation systems in the world, Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Michael Damianos said Thursday, adding that maintaining this leadership cannot be taken for granted.
The Minister was speaking at the 18th Common Session of the General Assemblies of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Electrotechnical Committee for Standardization (CENELEC), that takes place in Cyprus.
Cyprus, he said, “is particularly pleased to host this high-level gathering at a time when Europe is facing profound economic, technological and geopolitical transformations”.
“Bringing together leaders and experts from across the European standardisation community provides an important opportunity to reflect on how standards can continue to support Europe’s competitiveness and resilience in a rapidly changing world” he added.
The Minister noted that Europe’s capacity to shape standards is a matter of economic resilience, industrial policy and, increasingly, strategic autonomy.
“The European Union possesses one of the most advanced and credible standardisation systems in the world. However, maintaining this leadership cannot be taken for granted. It requires continuous adaptation, institutional agility, and accelerated processes capable of matching the pace of innovation” he pointed out.
In particular, he went on to say, in frontier areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, semiconductors and clean technologies, the speed of standardisation increasingly determines Europe’s ability to remain competitive and technologically sovereign.
At the same time, Damianos said, standardisation must remain an open, inclusive and democratically grounded system.
“The meaningful participation of SMEs, industry, consumers and academia is essential to both the legitimacy and effectiveness of the European model. The challenge for Europe is therefore clear: to reconcile transparency, trust and sustainability within a system that is fundamental to the functioning of the Internal Market” he said.
In a broader sense, Damianos added, standardisation has become a key instrument of geo-economic influence.
“The ability to shape international standards directly affects market access, technological dependencies and global competitiveness. Against this backdrop, the European Union must strengthen its role as a global rule-setter in standardisation through a coherent voice, strategic coordination and a reinforced presence in international standardisation fora” he said.
Referring to Cyprus, he noted that as a Member State situated at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Cyprus fully appreciates the value of connectivity, cooperation and common rules.
“Standardisation is one of the most effective tools through which Europe promotes these principles, while supporting innovation, trade and sustainable growth” he concluded.