- The aim of this publication is to provide users with the information they need to make considered and responsible purchases, and to make the right choice.
- The release of this brochure is part of the agreement signed by the Spanish Association for Standardization (UNE) and the Federation of Consumers and Users (CECU) to raise awareness in society of the importance of complying with standards.
Madrid, 13 April 2023 – The Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, and the Federation of Consumers and Users (CECU), have today released an informative brochure to help consumers choose products and services that comply with technical standards that guarantee their safety. These standards are present items we use every day, and yet they are unknown by a large part of the public. The aim of this publication is to provide consumers and users with the information they need to make considered and responsible purchases, and to make the right choice.
Under the slogan "Un día normal" (a normal day), the brochure depicts a consumer's everyday life while using basic products and services. Specifically, it explains what standardisation is, what it is for, who develops it, how it affects our day-to-day and how to interpret the code of a standard. It also includes details of the standards to be met by some of the different types of objects that we use 24 hours a day. The brochure is available to the public through this link,
The launch of this publication is part of the agreement signed by UNE and CECU in July last year, which aims to raise awareness in society of the importance of compliance with standards to generate shared progress and a safer and more sustainable world.
The managing director of UNE and vice-president of ISO, Javier García, underlined that "standardisation provides safety and protection to consumers and avoids risks by encouraging all products to be manufactured in accordance with standards that establish health, quality, accessibility and compatibility requirements, among others". According to data from the US Department of Commerce, over 90% of global trade is affected by associated technical standards or regulations.
In addition, the director of CECU, David Sánchez, affirmed that "educating consumers about the standards that consumer products must meet is essential to make the act of purchasing safer, more responsible and sustainable. Encouraging the habit of reading a product label before buying and learning about the scope of UNE standards protecting the health and safety of consumers are two priority objectives for CECU this year".
The Spanish Association for Standardization is the authority that is legally responsible for developing standards in Spain. Every year more than 13,000 experts from Spanish organisations participate in developing standards in one of the nearly 200 UNE Committees responsible for developing them in our country. UNE brings its voice to global forums where key standards for the well-being of people and consumers are discussed.
This initiative is part of the UNE 2025 Strategy, which seeks, among other things to create spaces that serve the interests of all society and contribute to building a safer, more sustainable and more competitive world. For CECU, product safety is one of the strategic lines of action approved at its general meeting, which it has been working on for years.
