The workshop, co-organised by ECOS and Small Business Standards (SBS), will explore possible implications of the James Elliott and other court cases on the way policy-makers use standards in European laws and policies.

Experts will discuss whether the approach whereby legislators mandate the standardisers (i.e. mainly industry) to define the means by which legislation will be implemented remains valid when used in areas of public interest such as environmental protection laws and policies. We will also see whether a clear line can be drawn between standards serving the needs of stakeholders and standards serving the needs of policy makers.