The Standards, Measurements and Testing Programme (SMT)—The European Support to Standardisation, Measurements and Testing Projects and its Proposed Activities in the 5th Framework Programme

The objectives of the EC, SMT-Programme include the provision of research and technical support to standardisation and health of the society when it is required to improve the competitive position of European industry, and for the development or implementation of Community policy. 1 These objectives led to the EC, SMT-workprogramme, which is divided in the following three THEMES: THEME I: Measurements for Quality European Products Including Written Standards for Industry, THEME II: Measurements Related to Written Standards and Technical Support to Trade, THEME III: Measurements Related to the Needs of Society. These themes were accessible through participation in different calls for proposals. The European Commission's proposal for the 5th Framework Programme explains that harmonised and validated methods, as well as instrumentation in Europe, together with the establishment of international traceability of measurements, are needed to ensure quality and sustainability of industrial products, services, to remove barriers to trade, to promote mutual recognition agreements and to combat fraud. Consequently, the following objectives of Measurements and Testing as a generic activity within the 3rd Thematic Programme, Promoting Competitive and Sustainable Growth, were proposed: (a) pre-normative research and technical support to standardisation, (b) the fight against fraud, (c) improvement of quality of products and services. These objectives include instrumentation (e.g. Sensors, etc.), reference methods and certified Reference Materials (CRM) as important measurement and testing tools.