BSI secures membership of CEN and CENELEC

Members of CEN and CENELEC supported proposals to allow full BSI membership to continue.

The general assemblies of the European Standards Organisations CEN and CENELEC recently approved a plan to secure full post-Brexit membership for the British Standards Institution (BSI). The BSI welcomed the outcome as ‘a pragmatic solution’ that is said to provide stability for the European standards system while meeting the needs of its stakeholders.

These decisions were taken separately within the two organisations, and will reportedly enable the work of shaping and maintaining best practice standards used across Europe and internationally to continue. The agreements also mean that, as before, UK experts will chair meetings, as well as acting as convenors, committee members and policy experts to help maintain and develop the European standards managed by CEN and CENELEC. According to the BSI, standards users in the UK can continue to be confident that CEN and CENELEC standards will meet their needs, as they will still be influenced by UK stakeholders.

The BSI’s position on membership is said to enjoy support from UK manufacturers, service providers, trade associations, consumer bodies and other stakeholders who want to continue to work within the European standards system. Members of CEN and CENELEC supported proposals to allow the BSI to continue as a full member, and the general assemblies agreed a transition period for their statutes until the end of 2020. This will include a derogation for the BSI from certain eligibility clauses, during which time the body will undergo an independent review of its processes, and both CEN and CENELEC will agree any necessary revisions to their statutes.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 3 of the January 2019 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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