The review of the board
A stronger quality infrastructure, a stronger Europe
Hanane Taidi, Director General TIC CouncilThe question of whether Europe’s competitiveness is strong enough and whether it can maintain its industrial base is becoming increasingly pressing. According to Hanane Taidi, Director-General of the international trade association TIC Council, a significant part of the answer lies in a strong single market and a robust, future-proof, high-quality infrastructure. ‘Without trust, there is no competitiveness, and without a strong single market, there is no economic resilience.’
Taidi refers to recent European analyses on the future of the single market. Mario Draghi, former President of the European Central Bank and former Prime Minister of Italy, was commissioned by the European Commission to investigate how Europe can restore its competitiveness. Enrico Letta, also a former Prime Minister of Italy, set out how the single market could function more effectively. ‘Their conclusions emphasise that the single market must function effectively not only on paper, but also in practice.’ The role of quality infrastructure is crucial in this regard. ‘Accreditation, standardisation, metrology, conformity assessment and market surveillance are the mechanisms that translate rules into trust, trust into quality, and quality into competitiveness.’
Faster action is needed
Taidi recognises that Europe’s quality infrastructure has a strong foundation, but does not always keep pace with the speed of technological development. Whilst Europe has made progress in the field of standardisation, it has not done so quickly enough. Digital technologies and AI are developing at a rapid pace. She says: ‘We need to adapt our processes accordingly and invest in online tools and the development of a common digital infrastructure for faster and better collaboration on standardisation.’
She also sees shifts within European regulation itself. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires large companies to report extensively on their sustainability impact. Major accountancy firms have quickly focused on sustainability assurance. Taidi: ‘That is understandable given their capacity, but it does raise the question of whether Europe is making full use of its quality infrastructure in this area.’
‘Our processes need to keep pace with rapid technological developments.’
Accreditation as the guardian of trust
Within that quality infrastructure, accreditation is ‘the guardian of the temple of trust’, says Taidi. ‘Accreditation confirms that an organisation carrying out conformity assessments is reliable and competent, and that it performs its work professionally, consistently and impartially. A single difference in application has a direct impact on the functioning of the internal market.’
She summarises: ‘Divergent interpretations of standards, limited transparency regarding the available scopes of accreditation and the lack of common expectations regarding response times can slow down market access and create uncertainty when developing innovative technologies. At the same time, new technologies such as hydrogen applications, AI products and digital systems are emerging for which the necessary accreditations do not yet always exist on the desired scale.
New players are adding to the complexity
In addition to structural bottlenecks, Taidi also observes changes within the TIC sector. For many years, this sector has provided conformity assessments that ensure the credibility of statutory and voluntary requirements. A new dynamic is now emerging, where the challenge lies in how this is carried out and whether its quality can be guaranteed.
For instance, some technology companies offer services that resemble conformity assessment, but without accreditation. In doing so, they are not only operating outside the formal quality infrastructure; it can also lead to inconsistencies in supervision and in the level of protection that consumers and authorities expect. Taidi concludes: ‘To remain relevant and maintain trust in this rapidly changing landscape, we must renew our quality infrastructure and adapt it to the new reality.’
‘The strength lies in reinforcing collaboration within the quality infrastructure.’
Opportunities for modernisation
Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities for modernisation. The first lies in closer cooperation between all parties within the quality infrastructure. Taidi explains: ‘Together, we must build up the capabilities needed for digitalisation. This will enable us to deal with emerging technologies efficiently. To achieve this, we must promote cross-border accreditation, build up expertise in the field of AI and encourage transparency regarding which scopes for accreditation are available or are being developed.’
According to Taidi, the second concrete opportunity lies in the revision of the New Legislative Framework (NLF), which has formed the basis for CE marking, accreditation and market surveillance in Europe since 2008. ‘The economic reality has now changed radically. This framework offers the opportunity to better align conformity assessment with digital products, AI components and sustainability claims.’
‘Modernisation of the TIC sector and accreditation are essential.’
Modernisation as a prerequisite for relevance
The TIC sector and the quality infrastructure form the foundation of the internal market and are essential for consumer and business confidence, but modernisation is necessary. Whereas the TIC system traditionally ensured industrial safety and regulatory compliance, today’s requirements extend further.
According to Taidi, conformity assessment can no longer be solely a static test. It requires real-time monitoring, the use of digital tools, remote assessment capabilities and robust validation of sustainability information.
In a European economy driven by digital technology, data and sustainability, the system of accreditation and conformity assessment must evolve rapidly. ‘The revision of the new legislative framework, combined with closer cooperation, modernisation and harmonisation within the quality infrastructure, will determine the extent to which Europe can integrate new technologies and strengthen its position in international value chains.’
About Hanane Taidi
Hanane Taidi is Director General of the TIC Council, the international trade association for companies active in testing, inspection and certification (TIC).
In this role, she represents the sector in European and global policy discussions on regulation, accreditation and market access, and plays an active role in the debate on the future of the European quality infrastructure.
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