Speech by the Hon. Prof. Josef Bonnici, Minister for Economic Services, during a Seminar organised by the Malta Standards Authority in connection with the 2nd World Standards Day - St. Julians

This conference is clear proof of the Government’s keen awareness of the important role that standards must play in the process of industrial development.

In today’s rapidly changing world, government and industry must work together to ensure that products and services produced in Malta are accepted in the global marketplace, thereby enhancing the industry’s capability to compete more effectively at the international level.

World Standards Day is held specifically to highlight the relevance of internationally accepted standards and of the procedures to establish and verify them. It is organized by the three principal international organizations that lead the development and dissemination of international standards - that is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The goal of World Standards Day is to raise awareness of the importance of global standardization to the world economy and to promote its role in helping meet the needs of business, industry, government and consumers worldwide. This international event pays tribute to the thousands of persons around the world who participate in standardization activities, most of them on a voluntary basis. To highlight this broad based international effort, Standards Organisations around the world organize special gatherings and events around the 14^th October of each year. In Malta this is the second consecutive conference that is being organized by the Malta Standards Authority and we augur that it will continue to do so in the future.

The merit of these events is to create a new consciousness among business, industry and consumers of the many positive steps that they can themselves take with or without a strict regulatory framework.

In many developed and developing countries, standards are primary tools to address issues of quality, safety, productivity and many other aspects of an ever-growing array of products, processes and services.

Standards are based on international consensus and hence offer global applicable solutions. They are cost-effective and make it possible to take advantage of the knowledge and experience gained in the more advanced economies.

Increasingly, particular reference is also being made to the Environment theme. The management of environmental issues is becoming as much a cornerstone of business practice as health, safety and quality. Hundreds of standards that deal directly with environmental issues already exit. Thousands more, covering a multitude of physical features in products, already contain information and recommendations on environmental aspects like material content, industrial processes, recycling and waste disposal. Many of these standards will also have an important role in current efforts to help consumers to familiarize themselves with standardized, clear and easily understood eco-labeling. Hence, at the strategic level, standards, such as those on environmental management, offer a structure, methodology and practical tools to help organizations of all types assess and manage the impact of their activities on their environment.

Standards are becoming a pillar of the new global trade system. As various barriers to trade and to investment are eliminated, standardization is taking on an increasingly important role in both local and global affairs. Building awareness and understanding of standardization and the important contribution it makes to the Maltese social and economic well-being is critical to the long-term success of our industry and society at large. An informed public, with a solid understanding of the benefits and appropriate use of standardization processes, will help to ensure that decision-makers in both government and industry give full consideration to standardization as an important tool for shaping policies that meet the needs of the Maltese public and industry.

It is the Ministry’s commitment to support the Malta Standards Authority in its mission to inform industry, consumers and the business community about the new standards that are being developed at European and international level and that will have an impact on our society. Shortly, we will witness an important milestone for the MSA – that of full membership in CEN and CENELEC. This is also an important step for Malta’s integration within Europe since it facilitates the free movement of goods between Malta and the international community. It also ensures that Maltese standards will be on the same level as European and international ones.

I therefore congratulate the MSA on its achievements and look forward to see its contribution in helping our industry and commerce become more competitive by taking up the opportunities in markets abroad.