Standardization News

On May 2, ASTM International hosted a European-American Business Council round-table discussion in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with visiting members of the European Parliament. The delegation was led by Peter Štastný, vice chairman, EP Committee on International Trade, who was visiting Canada to discuss prospects for enhancing trade and economic cooperation between Europe and North America.

During the discussion, Jeffrey Grove, vice president, global policy and industry affairs, ASTM International, explained that one way to eliminate non-tariff barriers to trade is to ensure that the standards and regulatory policies of Europe, Canada and the United States provide the flexibility for governments and industry to choose from a broad portfolio of international standards based on criteria such as technical quality, market relevance and adherence to principles established by the World Trade Organization.