NoOOXML

Commission's answer:

The question refers to an ongoing decision-making process at the International Standards Organisation (ISO) which is very controversial as a result of the strongly held positions of different stakeholders.

The Commission is aware that irregularities regarding decision-making at both national and international levels have been reported in the media. However, the Commission is not directly involved either in the process or in the governance of ISO, and is therefore not in a position to undertake a verification of alleged improper behaviour.

ISO is an independent international standards organisation. The responsibility for the proper functioning of ISO is primarily with its members, the national standards bodies, and it is for them to verify the reported irregularities and to consider a possible follow-up.

Generally, the corrrect functioning of international standardisation is important for the EU standardisation policy. Therefore the Commission encourages ISO and the other recognised standards bodies to respect the World Trade Organisation principles of international standardisation, namely transparency, openness, inclusiveness, impartiality and consensus, effectiveness, relevance and coherence.

The Commision expects ISO and its members to fully implement these principles in their decision-making processes. Through the agreement for cooperation between the European Standards Organisations and the Commission, European national standards bodies are also expected to respect the same principles.

The Commission is committed to ensuring competition based upon merit. In this regard, it is important that standard-setting processes are subject to open and transparent procedures, as outlined in paragraphs 159-178 of the Commission's Guidelines on the applicability of Article 81 of the EC Treaty to horizontal cooperation agreements(1).

(1) See
http://eur-ex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2001/c_003/c_00320010106en00020030.pdf

Answer of the Council

A presente resposta, que foi elaborada pela Presidência e não vincula o Conselho nem os Estados–Membros, não foi apresentada oralmente durante o período de perguntas dirigidas ao Conselho da sessão do Parlamento Europeu de Setembro II de 2007, em Estrasburgo.

A Organização Internacional de Normalização (ISO) é uma organização não governamental, actualmente constituída por organismos de normalização de 157 países.

A União Europeia não é nem pode ser membro da ISO, embora todos os Estados-Membros tenham diferentes tipos de participação nas actividades dessa organização (na qualidade de organismos membros ou de membros correspondentes).

Dado que não existem delegações dos Estados-Membros da UE, seria muito difícil pedir aos organismos nacionais de normalização para coordenarem as suas posições.

No âmbito da avaliação de impacto prévia à apresentação de uma nova proposta legislativa, a Comissão avalia as consequências de qualquer política de normalização, especialmente se for susceptível de impedir a livre concorrência.

Não compete ao Conselho impor sanções por comportamentos anti-concorrenciais. É à Comissão que o n.º 2 do artigo 85.º do Tratado CE atribui competências para tal.

Question of belder to Council/Commission

11 September 2007
H-0664/07
ORAL QUESTION for Question Time at the part-session in September II 2007 pursuant to Rule 109 of the Rules of Procedure by Bastiaan Belder to the Council

Is the Council aware of recent irregularities in connection with decision-making on international standardisation within the ISO,
including blackmail and buying of votes and other forms of improper influence on national voting committees?

In the Council's view, should ISO procedures be adapted significantly in order to be better suited to dealing with controversial standards like OOXML?

If so, what changes will the Council be proposing in consultation with the Member States and other participating countries, as well as national committees?

Does the Council envisage the imposition of sanctions on companies that abuse their market position in order to involve European businesses against their will in practices of this kind or put other suppliers and open source applications at a competitive disadvantage?

See, for example: http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/7183/469

Comment

The Commission "encourages" ISO to respect the World Trade Organisation principles of international standardization. This is a very strong statement addressed to ISO given the 'competence' trap that Belder's question provokes. The draftsperson of MEP Belder's questions was not very experienced and the Portuguese Presidency pretty clueless. Sure, also an answer phrase of the Commission like

…which is very controversial as a result of the strongly held positions of different stakeholders.

is entertaining or embarrassing, it depends on your views.

The answers clearly highlight the need to equip the European regulator with better regulatory tools to overcome the problem of 'vendor capture' in standardization. The WTO Technical Barrier to Trade Agreement seems to be insufficiently implemented and enforced. "Transparency, openness, inclusiveness, impartiality and consensus, effectiveness, relevance and coherence" - sure good old ISO needs reform. But the task cannot be prescribed with empty principles. Common sense and impartiality would be sufficient to a certain degree.

You should consider to talk to your MEP. Maybe he can get the remaining answers for you.