The PCIAW® Summit, taking place on the 18th June 2019 at the Montcalm Marble Arch, is set to be the most informative event of the year for the professional clothing industry. With the agenda for speakers three pages long, there will be no shortage of speaker expertise on the topics that are the most relevant to our industry.
One of the PCIAW’s® purposes as an association is to be a sector-specific trade body that is devoted to the professional clothing industry and supply chain. As such, the PCIAW® has made sure that the speakers at the Summit are experts in their field, with invaluable knowledge and advice that will offer support to the delegates that attend.
We are therefore thrilled to announce that Richard Collin, Head of European and National Policy, of the British Standards Institution, will be speaking at the Summit on ‘How Brexit will affect British Standards and what is the UK’s future in developing standards in Europe?’
Richard Collin has 30 years’ experience in quality infrastructure. After qualifying as a Trading Standards Officer, he worked for UK local authorities for 9 years. He was then resident advisor to the Hungarian government on behalf of the UK Department of Trade and Industry (now Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) for two twinning projects on market surveillance between 2000 and 2003. From 2004 to 2010 he worked in the European Commission DG Enterprise on standardisation policy.
Since 2010 he was worked in BSI. As BSI’s Head of European and National Policy he is responsible for BSI’s National Standards Body governance and compliance framework, for engagement with regulatory policy in Europe and for BSI’s Consumer and Public Interest Network, which enables the representation of consumers and public interest groups in BSI’s standards committees. In addition to these roles, he is BSI Standards lead for Brexit.
Richard kindly agreed to answer some of our most asked-about questions in regards to his presentation at the PCIAW Summit.
- Can you give us a hint towards what your presentation at the PCIAW® Summit will cover?
The presentation will look at the possible impact of Brexit on voluntary business standards.
- What, in your opinion, is the most pressing issue facing British Standards at present?
Brexit aside, the biggest issue is most probably digitization: of business, of standards processes, of society. How can standards support businesses in their use of new technologies, like AI, while still maintaining consumer trust and confidence?
- How important are British Standards in regards to trade with Europe and across the globe?
British Standards are critical tools for trade around the world – in fact, already approximately 85% of our national catalogue of British Standards, is developed through international processes, including significant contributions from UK experts, and then adopted as BSs. Aligning internationally around the use of a single standard, adopted as a national standard like a BS, is the best way to drive down barriers to trade.
- In your opinion, what factor of British Standards will be most affected by Brexit?
We do not expect that Brexit will have an impact on the ability of BSI to enable UK stakeholders to develop standards that will help trade in UK, in Europe and internationally. We are working with our fellow members of the European Standards Organizations, CEN and CENELEC, to make sure this is the case. We have adopted a plan that will deliver continued CEN and CENELEC membership post-Brexit and part of that is updating the statutes of the organizations – we are starting that work now. And whatever happens in March with Brexit, deal or no deal, BSI will still be the UK member of CEN and CENELEC while we resolve the longer term position.
- What element of your presentation would you most like the PCIAW Summit delegates to take away with them?
To continue to commit to the role of jointly developed and used standards enabling trade around the world, through BSI’s membership of CEN, CENELEC, ISO and IEC.
To make you sure don’t miss out on Richard’s presentation, please visit https://pciaw.org/pciaw-summit-2019/buy-ticket/ to buy your ticket to the PCIAW Summit on 18th June 2019.
For any questions or queries please contact that team T: +44 (0)1908 411 415 or E: leah@pciaw.org
