Ref. Ares(2019)6546201 - 23/10/2019
Coming back to the strategic/geopolitical aspects of standardisation, Mr. Selmayr emphasised
the important role of the Single Market, describing it as Europe’s key asset when competing
for global standards. He noted that while the Single Market has an important internal focus, it
always carries with it a careful consideration for the international dimension. He also pointed
to the Commission’s Single Market Communication published in November last year, which
pays particular attention to this international dimension and mentioned the Free Trade
Agreement between the EU and Japan, standing witness to the Single Market’s power of
attraction abroad.
M. Selmayr confirmed that the European Commission continues to defend the principles of an
open and free economy also when it comes to competition from third countries such as China
or India. However, he also stressed that an open and free economy does not coincide with a
naïve and careless economic policy. In contrast, if the European Union wants to uphold these
principles also internationally, it needs to be able to use the market power of its Single Market
to its advantage. For standardisations this means that the EU needs to be faster and more
strategic than in the past. To this end, Mr Selmayr invited the associations to continue the
close cooperation with the Commission and to work together to set global standards in
Europe.
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