HC Deb 27 March 1985 vol 76 cc220-1W
42. Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is satisfied with progress within the European Economic Community on the harmonisation of standards in goods.

Mr. Channon

Techinical harmonisation within the Community has proved disappointingly slow. The Government therefore support fully current initiatives under which members states would— co-operate under directive 189/83/EEC to avoid the introduction of national requirements likely to impair operation of the internal market; — adopt a new approach to technical harmonisation and standardisation along the lines proposed in the Commission's communication of 31 January 1985 to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(85)19 final); —seek to strengthen the capacity to standardise at European level.

The Government hope that together these initiatives will speed up technical harmonisation and make a major contribution to completion of the internal market.