During the next six months, Bulgaria will be the driving force of the Agenda of the Union and will try and respond to the real needs of European citizens following a common goal: work for unity between the member states, as well as between the European institutions. This is why their slogan will be “United We Stand Strong”.
CEN and CENELEC look forward to supporting the Bulgarian Presidency in their plans and priorities. In line with our Digital Transformation Strategic plan which will be launched in January 2018, as well as with our Work Programme 2018 which outlines our priority standardization activities for next year, CEN and CENELEC will have strong links with at least three of the priorities set by the Bulgarian presidency: The Future of Europe and of the young people, Security and stability of Europe, and the Digital economy and skills for the future.
CEN and CENELEC will in particular dedicate efforts to support the completion of the EU digital single market, modernize the digitalization of the standardization process (i.e. deliver online collaborative standards-making and the standards of the future like machine-readable standards, standards as software, etc.) and ensure engagement with the next generation of experts.
Cybersecurity will remain a priority, and as members of the Permanent Stakeholders’ Group (PSG) of ENISA, CEN and CENELEC will reinforce their position and contribute to the effective implementation of the upcoming EU ‘Cybersecurity Act’, ensuring that new European standards are defined to effectively address interoperability, security and safety issues in all business sectors.
With all of the above, 2018 promises to be a year of allied forces. We wish the Bulgarian Presidency lots of success and look forward to engaging in the many opportunities for collaboration in our shared European goals.