The panel agreed that the EU must modernise the New Legislative Framework for digital and emerging products while preserving the risk-based and accreditation foundations that sustain trust, safety and competitiveness in the Single Market.
Brussels, 6 March – The European Union’s revision of the New Legislative Framework (NLF) must adapt to digital and connected products while preserving its risk-based foundations, stakeholders said at a debate co-hosted by TIC Council and EURACTIV.
The panel, titled “The revision of the New Legislative Framework – Opportunity for EU competitiveness?” brought together Hanna Anttilainen (Member of Stéphane Séjourné's Cabinet, European Commission), Maureen Logghe (President, European Co-operation for Accreditation), Dr. Dirk Stenkamp (CEO, TÜV NORD) and Andrea Raffaelli (Small Business Standards SBS) to examine how the NLF can remain fit for purpose amid digitalisation, sustainability demands and global competition.
Speakers agreed that the NLF’s 2008 risk-based architecture has delivered strong results for consumer protection and Single Market integration. However, increasingly complex products — including AI-enabled systems, connected devices and sustainability-related performance claims — are challenging traditional conformity models.
Dr. Dirk Stenkamp said: “The NLF's risk-based approach is a success story: It ensures that products in the European single market are safe and builds trust among companies and consumers. Products posing significant risks need to be subject to particularly rigorous testing. In the age of digital and connected products and services, assessment methods must be adapted to be fit for purpose. Additionally, there is an urgent need for harmonization of accreditation procedures and transparency about scopes of competence to safeguard the EU single market and to create a level playing field for European industry"
Drawing on its position paper on the NLF revision, TIC Council called for targeted reforms, including:
Participants also stressed the need for more transparent and predictable accreditation processes, particularly in emerging technological fields.
Hanna Anttilainen added: "We need to modernise the New Legislative Framework to ensure it responds to new market realities and strategic priorities. The NLF framework provides the common architecture for EU sectoral product legislation and is key to preventing fragmentation, ensuring a robust and coherent conformity assessment system and creating trust for consumers, businesses and authorities."
"From the accreditation perspective, the revision of Regulation 765/2008 should not weaken the foundations that ensure trust and mutual recognition across Europe: keep the single-national accreditation body model, the public-interest mandate, non-commercial nature, and mandatory peer evaluation", said Maureen Logghe.
Andrea Raffaelli concluded: "The NLF is vital to the achievement of the Single Market, providing a flexible framework that allows to cope with technological developments and bring tangible benefits to European SMEs.”
The panel agreed that the EU must modernise the New Legislative Framework for digital and emerging products while preserving the risk-based and accreditation foundations that sustain trust, safety and competitiveness in the Single Market.