Brussels – 25 May 2012
The European Committee for Standardization (CEN), the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Euro-Asian Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (EASC). This agreement provides a basis for closer collaboration on various aspects of standardization, which will facilitate trade in goods and services between Europe and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The CEN-CENELEC-ETSI-EASC Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the Presidents of the four organisations and was formally concluded at a ceremony in Almaty, Kazakhstan yesterday (24 May) during the 41st EASC jubilee meeting, in the presence of Mr. Francisco Verdera Marí, External Relations Officer representing the European Standards Organisations, and Mr. Ryskeldy ?. Satbaev, President of EASC.
Under the agreement, CEN, CENELEC, ETSI and EASC commit themselves to working together through targeted dialogues on issues of joint interest, and facilitating the mutual acceptance, compatibility and recognition of standards. By promoting the harmonization of standards at international level, they also seek to facilitate trade between the European Union and the CIS countries, thereby contributing to sustainable growth.
EASC will cooperate with CEN, CENELEC and ETSI on standardization activities in relation to a wide range of sectors including: accessibility, construction, foodstuffs, electrical installations, energy efficiency, machinery, medical engineering, networked technologies (smart grids, smart meters, etc.), petroleum products, railways, services and telecommunication equipment.
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Notes for Editors
CEN (European Committee for Standardization) and CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) are officially recognised organisations responsible for developing and defining standards at European level. These standards set out specifications and procedures in relation to a wide range of products and services. The members of CEN and CENELEC are the National Standards Bodies and National Electrotechnical Committees of 32 European countries including all of the EU member states plus Croatia, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. European Standards (ENs) approved by CEN and CENELEC are accepted and recognised in all of these countries. CEN and CENELEC also work to promote the international harmonization of standards in the framework of technical cooperation agreements with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). In order to promote mutual understanding and cooperation with international partners, CEN and CENELEC have agreed Memoranda of Understanding with a number of regional standardization bodies, and have also signed Cooperation Agreements with National Standards Bodies in certain countries of major economic importance.
For more information, please see: www.cencenelec.eu
ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) produces globally-applicable standards for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, aeronautical, broadcast and internet technologies and is officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organization. ETSI is an independent, not-for-profit association whose more than 700 member companies and organizations, drawn from 62 countries across 5 continents worldwide, determine its work programme and participate directly in its work.
For further information, please visit: www.etsi.org
Euro-Asian Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (EASC) is the internationally recognised name for the Interstate Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Council was created in 1992 as an intergovernmental body with responsibility for the formulation and carrying out of coordinated policy in the field of standardization, metrology and certification. EASC is recognized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Its members are the National Standards Bodies of the following countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
For more information, please see: www.easc.org.by
Media contact:
Ben Carlin, Communication Unit, CEN-CENELEC Management Centre
T: +32 2 550 08 32 | bcarlin@cencenelec.eu
Ultan Mulligan, Events & Communications, ETSI
T: +33 4 92944388 | ultan.mulligan@etsi.org