Standardization is used by different stakeholders for their individual purposes. While industries are focusing on efficient manufacturing, service provision and interoperable solutions, administrations have additional needs for standards.
Health and safety as well as market policies (functioning of the markets for products (goods and services) with access and competition) use standards either in the context of regulation or in support of public interest policies without a legal framework. Design for All and the protection of children are those areas where support is expected.
The following links leads to information on how standardization and administrations collaborate.
is the basis for governmental approaches to standardization. It sets criteria for standards organizations which need to be fulfilled for accepting their standards in legal context. Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards The European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry is responsible for the standardization policies.
A comprehensive overview is provided on their web.
The EFTA countries are linked to European Standardisation by three means: more ...
The term ESS is often used to describe the agreed interactions and procedures between the EU institutions and the European Standards Organizations (ESOs) which are CEN ,CENELEC and ETSI together with the National Standards Organizations (NSOs) in Europe in support of legislation and policies.
The most popular instrument is the New Approach regulation with Directives with essential requirements and Harmonized European Standards (EN) with detailed requirements to satisfy these essential requirements. Compliance with the standards provide the presumption of conformity with the Directives' essential requirements.
A dedicated web site represents the joint effort of the ESOs, the EC and EFTA for implementing the New Approach.
is a mandatory marking of products under New Approach Directives. The CE mark indicates compliance with the essential requirements of a Directive. Third party testing is not required. 
is voluntary and indicates the compliance with a CEN or CENELEC standard. Third party testing is required., responding to the invitation of the Council. The Communication places in focus a greater contribution from standardisation to innovation and competitiveness. ICT as an industry sector is characterized by short development cycles and frequent introduction of new technologies. These technologies are widely used by other industry sectors and in consumer environments. Communications by its nature requires global interoperability.
Challenges for standardization come from 'time to market' requirements and from those addressing socio-economic benefits and risks.
These challenges have also let industry to create alternative ways to standardization. Industry consortia and fora have been specifying specific technologies also used globally in a multi-vendor environment. Some of these consortia fora are members of the ICTSB.
The "EU Study on he specific policy needs for ICT standardization" had provided a number of recommendations on ways how standards from more sources could be used for policy purposes.
On 24 May 2007 a workshop was held for collecting stakehoder views on the result of the study. A report 
is available.
A related conference called "European ICT standardisation policy at a crossroad: A new direction for global successn" was held on 12 February 2008.
The recommendations have been discussed but not yet led to changes in the system.