Fundamental principles of Standardization
The standardization in Greece is supported in the following fundamental beginnings:
1st Satisfaction of needs
The native Greek standards and specifications should satisfy the needs of production, consumption of products and services, science and technology, as well as other sectors of national economy and society.
2nd Consensus
The Greek standards should portray the wider possible agreement of opinions and the consensus of all interested parts for the corresponding subject, at national level.
3rd Objectivity
The Greek standards and specifications should be elaborated to be of the widest possible utility. The provisions included in them should not provide a comparative advantage in product or service by any supplier.
4th Modern technology
The Greek standards and specifications should take into consideration every scientific and technological development, to be applied, supplemented, modernised and revised in relation with the conditions shaped each time in the Greek reality.
5th Greek Language
The native Greek standards and specifications should be drawn up in Greek in a standardized format and uniform from the point of terminology, symbols and expressions.
6th Voluntary character
The development of Greek standards should be based on the determination of all interested parts to achieve voluntarily agreement on one or more declared aims. This engagement is extended afterwards also to the application of standards, the development of which has little value if they are not applied.
Standardization is one of the main activities of ELOT. National standardization includes preparing, issuing and promoting the implementation and use of national standards and standardization documents.
According to ELOT statutes (Law 372/1976), the Hellenic Organization for Standardization is the sole Body, in national level, for preparing, issuing and delivering standards. Almost all countries, worldwide have their own national standardization bodies.
The origin of ELOT standards and standardization documents may be:
• European standards, adopted as national. These standards are prepared by delegates/experts of the national standardization bodies of the European countries, through processes supervised by the standardization bodies of Europe: the European Committee for Standardization-CEN, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization-CENELEC and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute-ETSI. Note that, as a principle, the European standards are adopted in one of the languages they have been prepared in, English, French or German. Official translation of the content of European standards in Greek is made, whenever financial resources are available.
• International standards, adopted as they are or with modifications, prepared by international standardization bodies, where ELOT is full member, i.e. the International Organization for Standardization-ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission- IEC.
• Standardization work prepared by ELOT experts, in order to cover national economy needs. ELOT prepares such standards, only if there are no identical or similar European or international standards.
• Note that the implementation of standards is voluntary, except if national or European legislative or regulatory requirements makes it mandatory.