State Council Releases Action Plan For Standardization Reform

On September 10, the State Council released the

2015-2016 Action Plan for the "Framework Plan for Implementing Deepening Reform in Standardization Work", which specifies detailed department tasks and responsibilities for the first phase of reform.  The Action Plan marks the first implementation policy since the general agenda was released in March 2014.  

The Action Plan includes 14 specific reform tasks in six key areas: 

• Revise and clean up the current national, industry and local standards system
• Develop pilot programs of consortia and enterprise standards
• Improve the management of standardization technical committees (TCs)
• Improve the international level of China's standards by further opening up the standards-setting process to foreign-invested companies
• Establish standardization information disclosure and sharing systems to ensure transparency
• Accelerate the revision of the China Standardization Law and its implementing regulations
• Encourage local governments to establish standardization leading coordination and promotion groups