This questionnaire was developed by ETSI, as part of a project co-financed by the EC/EFTA. It is aimed at evaluating how to improve participation of SMEs in ETSI standardisation. To answer and help better understanding of SME needs, please click HERE(read more...)
Questions cover the level of SME participation in standardisation, their use of standards, and the costs and benefits as seen by an SME.
Your replies will greatly assist ETSI to further enhance SME participation and influence in its activity. If you choose to identify your organisation, ETSI may decide to contact you in a follow-up phase to receive your direct feedback on any problems you may have encountered, or success you have achieved with standardisation.
Summary results of this survey will be published on the ETSI website. Filling in this survey will not take more than 10 minutes.
EIM has concluded its final report on access to standardisation which is now publicly available HERE(read more...)
In 2004, the European Commission published recommendations for improving the European standardisation system (COM(2004) 674). A study on the access to standardisation of all stakeholders (including SMEs) was then launched. This study has been carried out by EIM, a contractor appointed by the European Commission.
After having consulted NSOs, ESOs and member states, EIM drafted a questionnaire which included questions on the participation of SMEs in technical committees at national and European level as well as on the purchase and uptake of standards by enterprises. The questionnaire was then submitted to stakeholders from 12 Member States (Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden, Cyprus, Estonia, France, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland).
NORMAPME actively contributed to the drafting of the questionnaire to make it as relevant and simple as possible, and added its members to the list of stakeholders to be consulted by EIM.
A web version of the survey was also publicly available; it was accessible to all and was considered as a good medium to express SMEs' points of views.
NORMAPME was present during the presentation of EIM's final report during the last European Commission's Steering Committee on the 3rd of February 2009. NORMAPME actively debated with the participants on the main results of this study. NORMAPME insisted on the importance of having a uniform way of registering participation in standardisation across all National Standardisation Bodies. NORMAPME also insisted on the need to agree on set definitions of the different categories of stakeholders, and suggested that individuals who participate in meetings clearly state which organisations or interests they represent.
NORMAPME welcomed that DG ENTR/E.3 stressed that NORMAPME needs to intervene at European level, as the positions of SMEs are sometimes watered down through the system of national delegations.
The final report has now been issued and published. In addition, a brief presentation of the main findings is available here: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/standards_policy/access_to_standardisation/doc/20090427_study_eim_presentation_eim.pdf
Further to the EC Communication of March 2008 (COM(2008) 133), CEN and CENELEC launched a project on SMEs' access to standards. The contractor has concluded the consultation of stakeholders willing to be interviewed on good practices identified at national level (read more...)
The study in question concentrates on suggesting solutions on ways to improve the access of SMEs to standards and on collecting facts and figures on the actual representation of SMEs within NSOs and ESOs. Normapme has submitted its inputs including the main points on which the study should concentrate, such as how to use existing campaigns and information material in a more efficient way to spread the information widely throughout Europe.
NORMAPME has also underlined the existence of ongoing good practices on information of SMEs on standards currently in use in the EU. NORMAPME has further indicated that the study should focus on how to spread information beyond the layer of the already well-informed stakeholders. After the first consultation, all stakeholders were invited to submit additional inputs on possible solutions, the feasibility of which the contractor should investigate when carrying out the study.
Now the contractor has interviewed the relevant stakeholders available for spending some time for answering the questionnaire in either the short or long version. NORMAPME is pleased to say a quite large number of NORMAPME members and experts responded to the questionnaire (17 answers coming from NORMAPME constituency!).
NORMAPME has also drafted a letter addressed to the Study's steering committee aiming at complaining about the short deadline and the fact that the questionnaire was provided in English only. We also recommended the contractor to take into consideration the efforts made by SMEs which finally managed to respond to the questionnaire.
Please be sure that NORMAPME staff will monitor and ensure the follow up of this study: your inputs and contributions must now be taken into account!
The second meeting (15th of January 2009) and the third meeting (5th of March 2009) of the CEN/BT WG 208 have been devoted to the discussion of the first working draft of the CEN guide on SME needs in standardisation. (read more...)
The group also discussed a self-evaluation tool for TCs/WGs that might be included in the guide. As a result, a second Working Draft (WD2) has been circulated for comments, before the next meeting takes place on the 28th of April 2008.
The CEN/BT WG 208 was created at the end of summer 2008 to produce a CEN guide on SME needs in standardisation. The guidance is aimed at the experts in standardisation committees, to help them adapt the standards to the reality of small business.
"Think Small First": A Small Business Act for Europe
The European Commission adopted on 25th June 2008 a "Small Business Act" for Europe - an ambitious plan to address the needs of Europe's small and medium-sized businesses. It is a major step to make Europe more entrepreneurial and help its businesses thrive as it improves framework conditions for SMEs while taking full account of their diversity. Read the full text.
A proposal for the new Construction Product Regulation
To improve the internal market for construction products, the European Commission proposed on 26th May to replace the "Construction Product Directive" (89/106/EEC) by a new Regulation. Read the press release and the text of the proposal.
On the 7th of February 2008, Vice President of the European Commission - Mr Verheugen launched Enterprise Europe Network, a new and powerful European support network for enterprises (read more...).
After a long preparatory work done by UEAPME and NORMAPME, on 3rd December 2007 PIN-SME, a new association of SME from the ICT sector came officially into existence.(read more...)
PIN-SME, the Pan European ICT & eBusiness Network for SME, is the first European association of the ICT sector exclusively focused on representing the interests of the SME community. It was founded by seven national sectorial SME federations from different EU countries and one ICT SME network from Germany. PIN SME represents more than 50.000 enterprises, which employ around 200.000 people across Europe.
The newly created association aims at bringing ICT-SMEs on the international ICT business and political scene, where so far large companies have dominated. PIN-SME will allow its members to have a stronger voice while lobbying the European and national organisations as well as to create an access to the EU-funded projects. The association will also serve as an information platform on ICT developments and an active representative of its members towards the industry and the public.
The initiative of creating an SME ICT association was launched by Freek Posthumus (NORMAPME) in 2005. After his valuable preparatory work his activity was taken over by Mr Sebastiano Toffaletti (NORMAPME) in 2007.
On December 3rd during the first the General Assembly meeting, PIN-SME members appointed Mr Johann Steszgal (UBIT) and Sebastiano Toffaletti respectively as the new PIN-SME President and Secretary General.
Thin multifoil insulation products
Due to the problems with recognition by the EOTA and CEN working groups of the distictive characteristics of these insulators, NORMAPME has organised a scientific colloquim and pursues a lobbying campaign in order to defend the interests of SME manufacturers. (read more...)
Highlights
Calendar of events Board Meetings of NORMAPME and events of interest to SMEs
ETSI Survey: how to increase participation of SMEs in standardisation?
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