BHTA hails post-Brexit standards agreement to help secure UK businesses influence in Europe
The BSI (British Standards Institution) is to retain its full membership in European Standards Organisations CEN and CENELEC post-Brexit, a decision welcomed by the BHTA (British Healthcare Trades Association).
Approved separately by both the CEN (the European Committee for Standardization) and CENELEC (the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) on the 23rd November, the decisions will enable UK industry to continue influencing the creation of standards used across Europe and globally.
BSI is the national standards body of the United Kingdom, responsible for producing technical standards on a wide range of products and services in the mobility and healthcare sector. The organisation also supplies certification and standards-related services to businesses.
Emphasising the demand amongst UK stakeholders to continue working within the European standards system, the BSI says UK manufacturers, service providers, trade associations, consumer bodies and others have expressed strong support regarding its continued membership in the CEN and CENELEC.
Commenting on the announcement, Andrew Stevenson, interim Director General of the BHTA, said: “Businesses want to work with the European wide standards system and BSI’s continued membership in CEN and CENELEC has been a critical issue. We are pleased that UK businesses will continue to be able to work with others to help shape and maintain best practice standards across Europe and internationally.”
The BSI’s membership in the European standards organisations will provide UK influence over market access conditions in 33 other European countries, with all member countries of CEN and CENELEC continuing to have a consistent and coherent catalogue of national standards for industry, consumers and regulators.
In addition, the decisions will help ensure the UK still has a voice in the international standards system through ISO and IEC, with the BSI highlighting the ability to influence international standards as crucial for ensuring the future global competitiveness of the UK.
