Continuity and Change in International Standardization

10 Pages Posted: 2 May 2015

See all articles by Panos Delimatsis

Panos Delimatsis

Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC); Tilburg Law School

Date Written: April 30, 2015

Abstract

Standards reflect preferences and values of a given society which may – and usually do – diverge, thereby inflating compliance costs for companies. If developed internationally, then substantial gains can be made through the diminution of such costs and by addressing network externalities, interoperability issues and information asymmetries. Thus, and quite inevitably, the main locus of standardisation is to be found outside national borders. With the emergence of global supply chains, the importance of international standards increases, suggesting that compatibility standards of high quality can yield substantial network effects that can make such standards self-enforcing. However, the reduction of compliance costs may be only a long-term effect, as, in the short run, the effect of international standards may vary in that compliance costs will rise for some firms, as the new standard used may be more sophisticated. At the same time, an international standard, the theory suggests, would bring about a diminution of consumer costs, as information becomes more readily available and prices more readily comparable.

For a long time, the voluntary character of international standards kept international standard-setting outside the radar of public attention. However, standard-setting has grown in prominence, affecting everyday life and many times bypassing State regulation. The State, on the other side, adopts a hands-off approach due to its lack of technical expertise. This short note serves as an introduction to an edited volume on international standards, identifying the linkages between standardization, on one side, and trade, development and innovation.

Keywords: International standardisation, standard-setting organizations (SSOs), standards and trade, standards and development, standards and innovation

JEL Classification: D82, F02, F13, F23, F68, K33, L15

Suggested Citation

Delimatsis, Panagiotis, Continuity and Change in International Standardization (April 30, 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2601265 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2601265

Panagiotis Delimatsis (Contact Author)

Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC) ( email )

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0031 13 466 8251 (Phone)
0031 13 466 8047 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/staff/p-delimatsis

Tilburg Law School ( email )

Warandelaan 2
Postbus 90153
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/staff/p-delimatsis

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