Navigating transatlantic power dynamics in ICT standardization – The case of ETSI

Abstract

Standards are the foundation of global trade facilitating the compatibility and interoperability of goods and services through institutional coordination to reduce transaction costs, shape technological choices, and market access. Such private transnational rulemaking has faced increased competition in key technological sectors. In Europe, ETSI has been critical for the European telecommunications market in the aftermath of liberalization of national monopolies as Europe sought to enhance market power to attract European and non–European firms to develop key technological standards. With the standardization strategy in 2022, the European Union has requested the revision of internal governance and operating norms of ETSI to strengthen European economic interests and social values. This has generated concern in the United States over the increase in government–based membership at the expense of a more open model. As international leadership in standards continues to be challenged by China, the US and EU have highlighted the importance of values–based standards. This has generated efforts to promote cooperation with strategic partners. The reform of ETSI could be viewed as a defensive strategy at odds with its globally oriented model of standards development and may undermine its legitimacy as a leading open and inclusive standards body in the field.

Keywords:

• EU
• US
• standards
• ETSI
• competition
• industry
• technology
• governance

View correction statement:

Correction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article was originally published with errors, which have now been corrected in the online version. Please see Correction (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13511610.2024.2350874)

Notes

1 Almost all the positive submissions to the initial proposal were from national standards bodies.

2 Passed in 2022, CHIPS stands for Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors.

3 To stress the point, standards are often considered as technical specifications, but the inclusion of more normative principles in EU policy such as corporate due diligence and assessing labor rights across supply chains, and export controls will also impact standards.

4 In the Matter of Use of the Carterfone Device in Message Toll Service, 13 FCC 2d 420 (1968) AT&T controlled the entire United States telecommunications system, and the FTC ruled that AT &T could not ban third-party equipment connecting to its network.

5 ETSI has a General Assembly, a Board, a Technical Organization, Special Committees, Industry Specification Groups, Coordination Groups and a Secretariat headed by a Director-General.

6 Weighted voting is based on membership contribution. For Approval of EN harmonized standards, national weighted voting is determined on joining so Malta has 3 weighted votes and Germany 29.

7 The decisions are taken based on a weighted voting system, but there are two distinct procedures of decision taking as per Article 11 of the ETSI Directives: ‘[f]ull members shall have the right to vote on all matters except where Weighted National Voting applies. Associate members shall have the right to vote on all matters except where Weighted National Voting applies or where Weighed Individual Voting by Full members applies’.

8 There are also a multitude of testing organizations including WECC, ILAC, WELAC, EOTC, EMCIT and EUROMET.

9 Egan and Pelkmans (1990) wrote about similar concerns in terms of the European standardization system becoming more assertive and faster in developing them, while ensuring their quality.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michelle Egan

Michelle Egan is a Professor and Jean Monnet Chair in the School of International Service, American University Washington DC, Co-director of the Transatlantic Policy Center and Global Fellow at the Wilson Center. She has published widely on trade, standards and market integration, with a focus on the US, Canada and Europe and is the author of five books. Her current projects include US states and commercial diplomacy, investment screening in federal systems and developments in the European single market pertaining to economic security.