The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism (MINCOTUR) page on standardization activity has been updated; all information regarding standards has been updated, from the most basic concepts to the more complex ones, such as participation in standardisation activities.
MINCOTUR recognises UNE, the Spanish Association for Standardization, as the body for developing standardisation tasks.
In accordance with the Regulations of the Infrastructure for Industrial Quality and Safety, standardisation plays an important role in business competitiveness, especially in small and medium companies, since standardisation facilitates, in particular, the free circulation of goods and services, network interoperability, communication functions, technological development and innovation.
The relationship between standards and legislation is a successful public-private collaboration, which is key for a single market. 12% of UNE standards are quoted in national legislation. These documents, the application of which is voluntary, are an effective support for regulations and even for rolling out public policies. Indirect reference to standards in legislation is one of the best practices for development and implementation of Smart Regulation.
For sectors that draw up technical standards, legislation based on such standards will contribute to reducing the costs associated with compliance, because they have a prior understanding of the requirements and can gradually adapt to them.
