Global Trade

Standards are the "lingua franca" of world trade.
 
International and European Standards provide a common technical language for trade partners throughout the world. For businesses active globally, International Standards are a major criteria for assessing the suitability of potential business partners and suppliers, and help ensure the compatibility and quality of products and services.
 
Standards help remove unfair trade barriers, facilitating global trade. In its "Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade", the World Trade Organization (WTO) recommends adopting international standards in the interest of global free trade.
 
In Europe standardization is a fundamental aspect of the Internal Market. The collection of harmonized European Standards ensures free trade within the Internal Market and strengthens the competitiveness of businesses active in the EU.

"In today's age of globalization, standardization is a particularly good example of industry's self-organization at the highest technical level."
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs

"In the European Union we see a close relationship between market freedom within the Single Market and the growing harmony of technical standards. The secret of the EU's success lies in the interaction between political strategies for removing barriers to market access and the harmonization of technical standards on products and processes."
Dr. Bernd Pfaffenbach, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi)

“Standards dismantle non-tariff barriers to trade, ensure trade between various countries and provide a basis for comparing products on the international trade market.”
Klaus Kuonath, Corporate Standards Officer, Daimler AG

"Standardization is a prerequisite for international cooperation."
Prof. Dr. Klaus Wucherer, Member of the Corporate Executive Committee, Siemens AG (to 2008)

"International standards, licenses and patents help us realize our growth strategies because they allow us to form useful international partnerships. And because we are entering more industrial cooperations in growth markets than ever before, it is crucial that all of our partners use the same standards."
Dr. Thomas Enders, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) (to 2007)

"Standards are extremely valuable goods. When they exist, everyone must comply with them."
Dr. Hartmut Mehdorn, CEO Deutsche Bahn AG (to 2009)

"The contribution standards and technical specifications make to economic cooperation is not to be underestimated."
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs

“Uniform standards and approval procedures are indispensable for unhindered trade.”
Michael Glos, Federal Minister, Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (to 2009)