In a strategy presented on 2 February, the Brussels authority urges, among other things, that such standardization processes, which can take years, be completed more quickly in the EU. These include environmental and labor standards, for example in mining, or uniform safety precautions for technical devices. Such standards can have a significant impact on the global economy.

In addition to accelerated procedures, the responsible authorities are to exchange information more effectively. In order to achieve these goals, a law on standardization is to be revised, among other things. A leading role in the most important standardization bodies is also crucial for the EU, the Commission announced. The responsible EU Commissioner Thierry Breton emphasized that Chinese or American companies, for example, sometimes have more than half of the votes in standardization committees and therefore have great influence.

Uniform standards characterize many goods. Without them, daily life would be more difficult and international trade would be slowed down. Standards ensure, for example, that containers from Asia fit on German freighters, that shoe sizes are clearly defined and that plugs also work in other countries. There are various organizations that do this. The German Institute for Standardization (DIN) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (Etsi) are just two examples.

Fear of dependency

The EU Commission fears that Europe could lose touch and may have to follow the standards of others in the future. "We noticed that China introduced a new strategy for standardization around four months ago," said an EU official. This means that the country is also pushing its technical expertise into the area of European standardization.

China is well aware that standards determine the markets. "Like us, they are looking for ways to promote standards that they believe are the right way forward," said the EU official. Beijing is also increasingly expanding its own capacities and expertise through its companies. Through branches in Europe, they also participate in European standardization bodies in various committees.

The Federation of German Industries (BDI) is calling for technology standards to be made an integral part of European trade strategies in future and to be a targeted instrument of industrial policy.