ICT in general is both a heavy user of energy, and can be a tool to make more efficient use of energy possible. ICT and Energy in this respect are somewhat like symbiotic twins, both need the other to thrive, especially in a perspective of increased demand for energy, depletion of fossil fuel reserves and especially climate change.

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The European Commission today hosts a conference event (http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemlongdetail.cfm?item_id=3689&tpa_id=146&lang=en) in order to discuss “European Standardisation for the Next Decade”. Talkstandards.com expert blogger Knut Blind will participate in a panel debate regarding “The needs of competitiveness and the public and societal demands”.

Read Knut Blind’s article on modernizing EU standardization policy here: http://www.talkstandards.com/?p=1561).

Talkstandards.com held an online forum September 2 about the EU White Paper on ICT standardization. Seven brief notes were presented and the subsequent discussion has been lively.

Further comments and views are most welcome! Please visit http://www.talkstandards.com/?p=1387 and join the discussion.

Background information: http://www.talkstandards.com/?page_id=1373.

The European Commission White Paper entitled “Modernising ICT Standardisation in the EU” focuses on four substantive issues:

1) Standards in Government Procurement
2) Standards and Public Sector Research
3) Standards and Intellectual Property Rights
4) The Role of Consortia, Fora and Open Source Communities

I will offer a few brief comments on the first, third and fourth topics:

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The Commission White Paper on ICT Standardisation – some reflections from a competition law perspective

As other commentators in this forum have already highlighted, the aim of the Commission’s white paper is to large extent unclear. Particularly the introduction and the listed “prominent areas for improvement” appear to reflect a mix of vague policy ambitions (p. 4). If Directive 98/34/EC should be read as constituting “the current EU standardisation policy”, as the Commission suggests (p. 2), the time for an update is probably quite ripe, but then these issues would have deserved a more elaborated treatment.

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Please join our online discussion about the Commission’s White Paper on ICT standardization at talkstandards.com on Wednesday September 2, 4-6 PM Central European Time.

The purpose of this event is to exchange views and ideas about the Commission’s suggestions before the ending of the public consultation period by mid-September.

To post comments – please register.

The Commission´s White Paper is available here:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/document.cfm?action=display&doc_id=3152&userservice_id=1&request.id=0

Optional reading:
http://www.talkstandards.com/?p=1237

In this blog, I outline two EC initiatives that I follow with interest: A whitepaper on ICT standardization and a proposal to deem software makers liable for code
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With a few days perspective on Tuesday’s forum and the European Commission’s forthcoming White Paper on Standardisation (comments welcome!), I have come to the conclusion that Europe faces five main questions:
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Several interesting themes can be expected in the European Commission’s forthcoming White Paper on ICT standardisation. This was evident after a speech by Anne Lehouk, Principal Administrator at the European Commission, at the Talk Standards event in Brussels today.
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Several interesting themes can be expected in the European Commission’s forthcoming White Paper on ICT standardisation. This was evident after a speech by Anne Lehouk, Principal Administrator at the European Commission, at the Talk Standards event in Brussels today.
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