Standardization activity for SMEs: from Europe to ISO

On the occasion of the 5th anniversary of its foundation, EFESME organizes a political conference about “Standardization activity for SMEs: from Europe to ISO”. The event is scheduled on 12 May and will take place in Brussels, on the European Economic and Social Committee premises. A translation service will be available in 4 languages (IT - FR - EN - ES). The conference will be followed by EFESME’s Board of Directors and General Assembly. The conference “Standardization activity for SMEs: from Europe to ISO” has a political nature and is mainly focused on the standardization process and the shift of the standardization working groups and activities from the European level (CEN) to the international level (ISO). The main aim of the event is to encourage a debate on these topics and make the European Instutions, and especially the Commission, aware about the problems the shift will create in terms of costs and participation. Since 2005 EFESME has been really active, having invested substantial financing and human resources to guarantee the participation of its experts to CEN TC10 and other working groups in Europe, in order to enhance and defend SMEs interests. The partnerships EFESME established with UEAPME and NORMAPME have been very significant to increase the Federation’s visibility in this field. Nowadays the core of standardization activities is shifting from CEN to ISO, determining a spread of meetings and working groups all over the world and consequently an increase in the costs of participation. Despite the support of NORMAPME, the Federation cannot meet these costs. Bearing in mind the importance to represent SMEs and safeguard their interest and competitiveness, EFESME wants to highlight these problems to the European Institutions. The event will see the participation of representatives of the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee, UEAPME, the International Standardization Organization (ISO) and European standardization organizations like NORMAPME and CEN/CENELEC. The participation is open to EFESME’s members, entrepreneurs of the lift sector and press.