- The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), whose representative in Spain is the Spanish Association for Standardization, has published its annual study on the implementation of management system technical standards by country, where Spain is a stand-out once more.
- Spain is actively involved in the development of global standards that help companies successfully overcome their major challenges in areas such as ESG (environmental, social and governance) objectives, the dual ecological and digital transition, exports and international trade.
- Ninety percent of ISO's standards committees have Spanish experts among their ranks, and Javier García, UNE's Director General, is the Vice-President of ISO, which benefits the competitiveness of Spanish economic sectors and the Spain brand.
Madrid, 1 October 2024 - Spain consolidates its leadership in the adoption of international management system standards, according to The ISO Survey 2023 of the International Organization for Standardization, ISO. This annual report details the implementation of technical standards in organizations in areas such as quality management, environmental management, energy, occupational health and safety, information technology and more. Spain is among the leading positions in the various different categories.
The Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, the Spanish representative of ISO, plays a crucial role in raising awareness of the importance of complying with global standards with best practices. Most of all, it plays a key role in the development of international standards that help companies and government agencies successfully overcome their major challenges in areas such as ESG (environmental, social and governance), the dual ecological and digital transition, exports, international trade and innovation. In fact, 90% of ISO's standardization committees and subcommittees include Spanish experts among their members, and the Director General of UNE, Javier García, is Vice-President of ISO, which benefits the competitiveness of Spanish economic sectors and the Spain brand.
With regard to ISO 9001, the most widespread quality management tool in the world, Spain ranks sixth worldwide, behind Germany, India, Japan, China and Italy. According to data provided by the National Accreditation Body (ENAC), 62,218 Spanish workplaces have adopted this Standard. ENAC, together with UNE and the Spanish Metrology Centre (CEM), form the three key pillars of Spain’s quality infrastructure.
The Spanish business fabric also places environmental management at the heart of its strategy, with 31,722 work centres ISO 14001 certified, which ranks fourth in the world. Both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are currently under review to adapt to the new needs of organizations, technological advancements, and the evolving challenges of society, as part of the periodic review of standards.
Moreover, Spain ranks third worldwide, only behind France and Germany, in adopting the ISO 50001 Standard on energy management systems. Specifically, 4,969 work centres have been certified as per this standard. This leadership highlights how Spanish companies are internalizing the energy transition in their corporate culture; to this end, UNE offers tools and solutions that support their goals in this area, such as its report, “Support of Standardization for Energy Efficiency and Savings".
Our country is fourth in the world in terms of occupational health and safety as per ISO 45001, and in terms of information technology, as per the ISO/IEC 20000-1 Standard; fifth in road traffic safety management systems (ISO 39001); sixth in business continuity (ISO 22301); and seventh in information security management systems (ISO/IEC 27001) and anti-bribery (ISO 37001).
