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| Competitiveness
and Communications Minister Censu Galea outlines benefits of Standardisation
on the occaion of World Standards day Date:
14/10/2004 Competitiveness and Communications Minister Censu Galea outlines benefits of Standardisation on the occasion of World Standards day While the costs of standards development can indeed be quite expensive for industry, surveys commissioned in advanced industrial countries have shown that costs are highly compensated by the benefits resulting from an active participation in the standards making activity Competitiveness and Communications Minister the Hon Censu Galea said when addressing a number of industrialists who attended a seminar organised by the Malta Standards Authority on the occasion of World Standards Day which is being celebrated on the 14th of October. During the seminar, entitled ‘ Exploring the MSA’s Services to gain Competitive Advantage” Minister Galea said these benefits attained through standardisation are not only seen within companies themselves, but also in the company’s business, advantages on supplier-customer relationship and on the research and development activity. One such survey carried out in Germany is also supported by concrete experiences of some enterprises, which show the advantages that result from direct participation in the standardization activity. The impact of standards on trade is so widespread that, on purely economic grounds, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that up to 80 per cent of trade (equivalent to around $4 trillion annually) is affected by standards or technical regulations. Similarly, a study commissioned by the EU estimated that 80 per cent of all EU intra-trade is affected by standards. In 1999, European industry spent more than 650 M€ in standardization activities. For businesses, the widespread adoption of International Standards means that interchangeability is made easier and suppliers can base the development of their products and services on reference documents, which have broad market relevance. The competitiveness and Communications Minister said that this factor, in turn, means that businesses are increasingly free to compete in many more markets around the world. For customers, the world-wide compatibility of technology, which is achieved when products and services are based on International Standards, brings them an increasingly wide choice of goods and services and they also benefit from the effects of transparent competition among suppliers. Speaking on local industry, Minister Galea said that unfortunately, many local entrepreneurs do not yet fully appreciate the importance that standards play in order that they become more competitive and able to penetrate foreign markets; sometimes it is very difficult to convince industry to participate in the standardization process. “However, I must point out that some local industrialists have already benefited financially from standardisation, which when coupled with Malta’s entry to the European Union can unleash great business potential. A case in point is the acquisition of the CE Markings by Maltese Boat builders who only through this certificate were able to expand their horizons and tap the European Market” minister Galea Added. The Malta Standards Authority is a full member
of the European Standardisation Organizations and the international
body ISO. MSA participates in both the European and international
standardization work which are aimed at:
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