ANEC - the European Consumer Voice in Standardisation

ANEC - The European consumer voice in standardisation

Chiara Giovannini Senior Manager

#standardays Contents

 The value of ANEC

 ANEC standardisation activities

 ANEC structure and membership

 ANEC facts and figures

 ANEC success stories

 ANEC 2016 priorities

2 Raising Standards for Consumers The value of ANEC

 Established in 1995

 Represents and defends the European consumer interest in a continuum:

 the development and revision of European policies and laws related to standards, consumer protection & welfare

 standardisation (governance and technical levels of CEN, CENELEC & ETSI; sometimes technical level in ISO & IEC)

 the use of standards (conformity assessment, market surveillance & enforcement)

3 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC Standardisation activities in 2016

In 2016, ANEC participates in:

 over 130 technical bodies of CEN, CENELEC & ETSI  and in over 25 technical bodies of ISO & IEC

75 experts in CEN committees

on behalf of consumers

4 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC structure

General Assembly (ANEC/GA) (one individual from each of 33 countries)

Steering Committee (ANEC/SC) (up to 10 members from GA)

Secretariat (9.2 FTEs)

Working Groups (ANEC/WGs) (8 WGs comprising experts drawn from member countries)

5 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC Membership

32 countries from EU, EFTA and EU candidate countries

 The General Assembly (ANEC/GA) is the supreme body

 Today, 33 countries are eligible for membership (28 from EU; 3 from EFTA; FY Republic of Macedonia & Turkey)

 Each country may nominate ONE person to represent ALL national consumer organisations in that country (32 nominations out of 33)

 The member is chosen by consensus at national level

 He/she serves a four-year term as a member of the ANEC/GA with re-appointment possible (present term started June 2015)

 Each country has one vote in the General Assembly

 There is no membership fee (but national consumer organisations contribute “in kind”) 6 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC facts & figures

 ANEC is an independent, private and not-for-profit association (AISBL)

 ANEC/GA membership mirrors CEN & CENELEC (i.e. now 33 countries) with national consumer organisations in each country nominating one national representative to the ANEC/GA

 ANEC relies on funding from the EU (95%) and EFTA (5%) through annual operating grants made after a public call for proposals

 1,40M€ total budget in 2016: - employs a central secretariat in Brussels - reimburses a network of volunteer experts from across Europe - funds an ANEC R&T programme of 80.000€  Added value of volunteer experts in 2014 calculated to be 390.000€

7 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC facts & figures (2)

 Eight areas of priority agreed by the ANEC/GA:

- Child Safety - Digital Society - Sustainability

- Accessibility - Innovation - Traffic

- Domestic Appliances - Services

• Work Programme 2016 available at: https://goo.gl/D4TM8K

8 Raising Standards for Consumers Societal challenges

. Demographics

 children, older consumers, people with disabilities

. Sustainability

 impact of choice on resource use and waste

. Technological progress

 privacy and the digital divide

9 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC success stories

Inclusion of “vulnerable consumers” in the EN 60335-2 standards for domestic electrical appliances

10 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC success stories

Safe sound limits for Personal Music Players (PMPs) (EN 60065:2002/A12:2011 & EN 60950- 1:2006/A12:2011)

11 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC success stories

EN 301 549 “Accessibility requirements suitable for public procurement of ICT products and services in the Europe”

12 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC success stories

Rearward-facing Child-Restraint Systems (UNECE I- size)

13 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC success stories

Specification for cords on children’s clothing (EN 14682:2007)

14 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC success stories

Child-resistant lighters (EN 13869:2002)

15 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC 2016 priorities (1)

. 2016 marks our 21st anniversary! An occasion to pay tribute to our volunteer experts and members, assess the achievements so far and plan future work.

. Strengthening the consumer voice in the European Standardisation System through the Joint Initiative on Standardisation (JIS).

. Ensuring standards are not used instead of regulation but to complement it in Europe (Better Regulation Agenda) and they are not the object of a “trade off” with the US (TTIP).

. Services standardisation to underpin new framework legislation on safety.

. Digital Single Market helping to deliver for consumers through standards (and not only for multinationals). 16 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC 2016 priorities (2)

. Playground equipment, Chair mounted seats, Lighters and finger-protection devices standards to offer higher child protection.

. Better market surveillance (PROSAFE actions on acoustic toys, safety barriers, power tools), and press for adoption of the Market Surveillance Regulation.

. Improved accessibility standards (accessibility following a Design for All approach in products, goods and services, lifts, cognitive disabilities) and new legislation (European Accessibility Act).

. Finalisation of work on use of household appliances by vulnerable consumers in CENELEC and progress of work in IEC.

17 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC 2016 priorities (3)

. Safer Gas Appliances and other devices (revision of directive, ethanol stoves, barbeques).

. Strong privacy, audio-video standards (wearables, PMPs, EMF limits in real conditions of use).

. Innovation in the energy market (smart meters, smart grids and smart appliances) and related consumer protection.

. Standards for quality in healthcare, on-line review and postal services (cross-border on-line shopping obstacles).

. Better (and European) regulation of fire safety in buildings (tourism accommodation).

. Banning of dangerous tattoo inks and safer candle emissions.

18 Raising Standards for Consumers ANEC 2016 priorities (4)

. EU Energy Label revision to simplify sustainable shopping.

. Innovation in the energy market (smart meters, smart grids and smart appliances) and related consumer protection.

. No UNECE new R44 approvals be granted to Isofix integral Child Restraint Systems, with full transition to the new, safer R129.

. Safer Child seats for bicycles, Electrically-power assisted bicycles, Lighting (Light Intensity) and Reflectors of Bicycles standards.

. Standards on fuel labelling to avoid consumer confusion.

. Call to reinstate a target to reduce serious road injuries.

19 Raising Standards for Consumers Thank you www.anec.eu

www.facebook.com/ANEC.Standards @http://twitter.com/#!/anectweetanectweet

ANEC is supported financially by the European Union & EFTA 20 Raising Standards for Consumers