Standardisation in the internal market for services: An effective alternative to harmonisation?

Abstract

The New Approach gives an important role to European standardisation in the improvement of the internal market for goods. Such a New Approach does not exist for services. For services, it is more difficult to maintain the distinction between law and the technical expertise on which the New Approach is based. Service standards are much more likely to clash with existing European legislation. If the EU wants standardisation to play a more important role in the internal market for services, it will have to provide a narrower and more precise role to European standardisation in the legislative framework for services.