The European Commission is making standards for medical supplies freely available to manufacturers of all types to increase alternative channels of production.
EC internal markets commissioner Thierry Breton said the intention is to encourage manufacturers, both large and small, to produce equipment to fight the Coronavirus pandemic.
The EC says it is working with industry and Member States to maximise the availability of masks, gloves, gowns and other medical supplies. Efforts include increasing production by existing manufacturers, facilitating imports and activating alternative ways of producing equipment.
Following a request from the EC, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), in collaboration with all their members, have agreed to immediately make available a number of European standards for certain medical devices and personal protective equipment. The EC says this action will help both EU and third-country companies willing to manufacture these items to swiftly start production and place products on the internal market more easily while ensuring a high degree of safety.
Breton said: “We need to act collectively with urgency, solidarity, and audacity. I am encouraging manufacturers to increase and diversify production, building on positive examples such as textile and shoe manufacturers starting to produce masks and gowns. I will do everything possible to support their efforts. I am pleased to announce that following contacts with the Commission, CEN/CENELEC has agreed to make freely available the standards needed for such companies to be able to produce masks and other protective equipment.”
The 11 standards developed by CEN and potentially 3 additional ones developed jointly with ISO are available with immediate effect and cover common filtering masks, medical gloves and protective clothing.
The EC says that providing free access to the national adoptions of these European standards helps both EU and third-country companies which are reconverting their production lines to manufacture these critical items for combating coronavirus.
Normally, standards must be purchased and used in line with the intellectual property right rules, as the copyright of the standards lies with the organisations, which have developed the standards.
The standards are available for free download from the websites of CEN national members: https://standards.cen.eu/dyn/www/f?p=CENWEB:5:::NO:::
