Standards offer considerable benefits to SMEs. They can help to comply with legal requirements, support the adoption of new technologies, reduce costs, allow to demonstrate the quality of products, and open up markets. However, to achieve these benefits, it is essential standards meet SME needs; otherwise, they may only meet the needs of bigger companies and create obstacles rather than support SMEs’ competitiveness. Despite accounting for 99.8% of all enterprises in the European economy, SMEs are under-represented in the development of standards at the European and international levels. Such a low participation puts SMEs at a disadvantage compared to other market players which are better represented in the standardisation process.
Small Business Standards (SBS) is a European non-profit association (AISBL) co-financed by the European Union and EFTA Member States. Its goal is precisely to represent the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the standardisation process at the European and international levels. In addition, SBS aims to raise awareness among SMEs about the benefits brought by the use of standards and to encourage them to get involved in the standardisation process.
One of the ways in which SBS ensures the representation of SMEs’ interests in standardisation is by appointing experts in Technical Committees, Subcommittees and Working Groups at the European and International levels. In 2022 there were 67 experts appointed by SBS. These experts benefited from SBS’s financial and operational support to represent SMEs in the standardisation world. This report outlines their main activities and achievements.
‘Throughout my work as an SBS Expert, I have seen how TC members really strove to think about SMEs’ perspective in their comments. All my standardisation work has been supported by the professional and problem-solving spirit which is needed to publish product standards to be used and applied by SMEs.’
Emilija Bratoz, SBS Construction Expert
