Indo-German cooperation on the Global Relevance Toolbox deepened

Inclusion of national requirements in international standards

International standards provide a common language for trade partners throughout the world and ease cross-border value chains. They define a state-of-the-art that is recognised worldwide. However, country-specific conditions such as extreme climate - e. g. heavy rainfall or heat - may entail special standardisation requirements that limit the application of international standards. In such cases, the Global Relevance Toolbox (GRT) offers guidance. It enables the inclusion of national requirements in the annex of international standards. As a result, there is no need to develop separate national standards.

 

Cooperation on the Global Relevance Toolbox in the Indo-German Standardisation Dialogue

The cooperation on the application of the GRT takes place within the framework of the Indo-German Standardisation Dialogue of the Working Group on Quality Infrastructure. The technical exchange on 28 January 2022 deepened this collaboration. It was organised by the Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) together with the German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies of DIN and VDE (DKE) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The focus was on current developments at the international level and possible application examples of the GRT in the Indian context.

 

Gerhild Roth from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz – BMWK) emphasised the importance of the Indo-German Standardisation Dialogue and the cooperation on the GRT. This was echoed by J. Roy Chowdhury from BIS. He also underlined that international standards are essential for international trade and the reduction of technical barriers to trade.

 

Experts discuss application cases for the GRT in India

Michael Teigeler, Managing Director of DKE and convenor of the IEC ad hoc working group on the application of the GRT (SMB adG 93), presented current developments at international level. According to him, the aim is to actively promote the worldwide application of IEC standards through greater use of the GRT. The implementation of the GRT will be further strengthened through a twin-track approach: In addition to the development of a practical guide to the GRT, information programmes and technical training will be conducted.

 

Matthias Gommel from Siemens illustrated advantages and possible applications of the GRT from an industry perspective. The GRT increases the efficiency of standards development and adoption, he explained. Through various examples of IEC standards, he demonstrated possible applications of the GRT.

 

During two discussion rounds, about 40 experts from German and Indian standards organisations, industry associations and companies discussed aspects of bilateral cooperation in the field of the GRT. They emphasised that a better understanding of different application examples of the GRT is crucial to promote its use. Another key point of the discussion was the question of potential application cases of the GRT. The participants agreed on the next step: They will jointly identify examples and sectors for a possible pilot application of the GRT in the Indian context.

 

Cooperation on the GRT is anchored in the Work Plan 2022

The results of the technical exchange will be taken up in the activities of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure. In its work plan for 2022, the cooperation on the GRT is anchored as part of the Indo-German Standardisation Dialogue. The Work Plan 2022 will be adopted during the 8th Annual Meeting of the Indo-German Working Group on 16 February 2022. The Annual Meeting serves to report on the political and technical achievements of the working group and to agree on new topics and priorities for the cooperation.

 

Learn more about the 8th Annual Meeting of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure and register here for your participation.