Standards: What they are and what we do Standards - definition
Standards are agreed criteria designed to ensure that products
and services meet minimum thresholds. They cover areas such as:
- Environmental impact. Standards create a climate of trust in
the marketplace for goods and services. For customers, a
certified standard is a badge of quality. For business, it can
provide protection against unfair competition and help instil
consumer confidence. Standards and trade As a cost-effective way
of complying with regulations, Standards help to stimulate trade
both in domestic and overseas markets. Many public sector
contracts are required to comply with specified standards.
Voluntary standards are a form of flexible self-regulation for
business and can remove the need for government-imposed
regulation, which tends to be more rigid and less adaptable.
NSAI works closely with the Irish Government and provides
support to the Department of Enterprise, Trade, Employment and
Innovation on the subject of the removal