Standardisation is the process of arriving at a standard. The Bureau for Standardisation (NBN) is responsible for developing and publishing standards in Belgium.
COPRO is recognised as a sectoral operator and is thus at the forefront of national standards.
Context
Promoting the quality of construction products can only be achieved if there is a framework that describes this quality: standards, prescriptions, specifications, regulations, etc.
A standard is a document with recognised agreements about a product, service or process. A standard is not a law. It is applied voluntarily, but compliance can be made mandatory, for example contractually.
Procedure
Standards are developed in NBN standardisation committees. These committees include representatives of all stakeholders. The documents created in this way are of very high quality and reflect the interests of all parties involved.
Parties
The NBN recognises organisations, so-called ‘sectoral operators’, which are responsible for the administrative management and technical follow-up of standardisation committees. They form the link between the experts within those committees and the NBN. In addition, they ensure that all stakeholders are able to participate in the standardisation process.
Sectoral operators possess the necessary expertise within their sector and have close contacts with the business world. Relying on a network of experts, they disseminate all useful information about standardisation work in their domain.
Role of COPRO
COPRO is recognised as a sectoral operator of the NBN E203 standardisation committee (technical committee CEN/TC203) for cast iron pipes, fittings and couplings.
COPRO also participates in many other standardisation committees and working groups in which standards are developed. These working groups cover a wide range of products and activities, and act at different levels: from local to European.
