ETSI Headquarters, Sophia Antipolis, France - 26 October 2010

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has welcomed the approval by the European Parliament of the Report on the Future of European Standardization¹ prepared by IMCO, the Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee. The report contributes to the current debate on the need to review the European standardization system. It was approved by the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg on Thursday 21 October.

ETSI is one of the three European Standards Organizations formally recognized by the European Union, together with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC). 

One of the strengths of today's European standardization system is the co-existence of two complementary models: one of national delegation used in CEN and CENELEC, and one of direct representation used in ETSI. ETSI allows for direct representation of all members in the standardization process, and has dedicated positions in its Board for SMEs and users of the standards.

ETSI fully endorses the need identified for a strategic approach to European standardization, and for a revision of the current process that builds on its strengths and adapts it to today's challenges, whilst avoiding radical change. ETSI has supported the recommendations of the European Commission's ICT White Paper² as a good starting point for the reform of European standardization.

ETSI and its members fully understand the importance of standards in fostering innovation, and commit themselves to playing a leading role in the reform process.

References

¹ The IMCO report can be found at: 
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+REPORT+A7-2010-0276+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN

² European Commission White Paper 'Modernising ICT Standardisation in the EU - The Way Forward' (COM(2009)324):
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/index_en

- ENDS -

About ETSI
ETSI produces globally-applicable standards for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, broadcast and internet technologies and is officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organization. ETSI is a not-for-profit organization whose 766 ETSI member organizations benefit from direct participation and are drawn from 63 countries across 5 continents worldwide.
For more information please visit: www.etsi.org

The ETSI logo is a trademark of ETSI registered for the benefit of its Members.

For more information about ETSI's European role,
please contact:

Margot Dor, Director,
Partnerships & European Affairs,
ETSI
Tel: +33 4 92944910
Email: margot.dor@etsi.org
For general ETSI press enquiries:
Paul Reid
Events & Communications
ETSI
Tel: +33 4 92944219
Email: paul.reid@etsi.org