Support office serves European EE firms in China

The European electrical and electronic industry has opened an office in Beijing, China to support European enterprises with information regarding standardization, certifications and technology regulations in that country.

The office, dubbed EuropElectro, was officially opened end of June, but it had been active since February 2007. It is organized by the German industry association ZVEI and the European engineering industries organization Orgalime.

While China is one of the largest markets for electric and electronic products, its restrictive regulations regarding market access pose challenges to enterprises that intend to offer their products in China, the ZVEI said in a press release. "EuropElectro will furnish information regarding the legislation on technology, underlying Chinese standards and certifications required to enter the Chinese market," the industry association explained.

In a formal act, German minister of economic affairs Michael Glos and ZVEI president Friedhelm Loh last week opened the office. "The economic relations between China and Germany are gainful for both sides," Loh explained. "The Chinese market recognizes our innovative capacity and has demand for it".

Presently, the standardizations processes in China are widely dominated by government institutions, conceded Ge Zhong, vice minister in China's superior standardization authority. For the future, he announced to include more industry experts into the process, thus strengthening the market orientation of the industry.

- Christoph Hammerschmidt
EE Times Europe