Technical Standardisation, China and the Future International Order.

Technical standard setting is – even though often very underrated – one dimension of the EU’s strategy to shape globalisation. Until now, a common practice used by the EU Member States therefore has been to push forward the implementation of its own standards internationally through its engagement in, for example, the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

However, in recent years, the People’s Republic of China has intensified its attempts to use standardisation for the promotion of its international influence. In this context, international standardisation institutions and the so-called “One Belt, One Road” initiative serve as instruments to set technical standards outside the international standardisation institutions.

While technical standardisation in Europe and the US is mainly driven by private self-regulation with only little influence from states, China’s take on it is an essentially state-driven approach with the potential to fundamentally reshape the future order of technical standardisation and to fuel the role of technical standardisation for political competition between “great powers”.

Against this background, the Heinrich Böll Foundation Brussels European Union commissioned the study “Technical standardisation, China and the future international order. A European perspective” by Dr Tim Rühlig. The study analyses two main questions: what are the ongoing processes of politicisation and transformation of international technical standardisation from a European perspective? What are the differences between the European and the Chinese standardisation systems? It concludes with concrete recommendations for European policy makers.

Programme

14:00-14:30                Registration

14:30-14:40                Welcome       

Eva van de Rakt, Head of Office, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Brussels European Union

14:40-15:00                Presentation

Dr. Tim Rühlig, Research Fellow, The Swedish Institute of International Affairs, Stockholm

15:00-15:30               Panel discussion

Reinhard Bütikofer, Member of the European Parliament, The Greens/EFA

Hein Bollens, Deputy Head of Unit Standardisation, DG Grow, European Commission

Elena Santiago Cid, Director General, CEN and CENELEC

Dr. Tim Rühlig, Research Fellow, The Swedish Institute of International Affairs, Stockholm

Moderation: Silke Wettach, Die Wirtschaftswoche

15:30-16:00                Q&A   

Working language: English

Please register until 28 February.

We are looking forward to your participation.*

Venue            

The Office: Rue d'Arlon 80, 1000 Brussels

*Note:

The event might be subject to photo and video documentation and covered on social media. With your attendance you agree that you have no objections should you appear on audio-visual or written content. By submitting your data for registration you agree that it is used to the sole purpose of documentation in the context of this event.