Inter-Governmental Bodies

 

GS1 works with the following organisations:

European Commission

 

The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union. It funds the following projects

Building Radio Frequency Identification Solutions for the Global Environment (BRIDGE)

 

BRIDGE is a European Union funded 3-year Integrated Project (July 2006 to June 2009) addressing ways to resolve the barriers to the implementation of RFID and EPCglobal technologies in Europe. Seven Business work packages have been set up to identify the opportunities, establish the business cases and perform trials and implementations in various sectors including anti-counterfeiting, pharmaceuticals, textile, manufacturing, re-usable assets, products in service and retail non-food items. The project includes an important research and development program in various aspects of RFID hardware, software, network and security. A series of horizontal activities is providing training and dissemination services, enabling the adoption of the technology on a large scale in Europe for the sectors addressed by BRIDGE and beyond.

 

Global RFID Interoperability Forum for Standards (GRIFS)

 

GRIFS is a two year project which started in January 2008 to improve collaboration and thereby to maximize the global consistency of RFID standards worldwide. The main objective of GRIFS is to put in place at global level a mechanism enabling RFID standardization stakeholders to coordinate their work programmes. The anticipated benefits include a greater efficiency in the development of standards and an improved consistency of the standards available globally. It is expected that the objectives of the project can be met by setting up a forum based on a Memorandum of Understanding between interested organisations.

 

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

 

A number of GS1 Standards have been included within NATO Standards Agreements (STANAGs) and Ministries of Defense have initiated a number of enhancements to GS1 Standards on NATO’s behalf. The agreement signed in 2006 broadens the co-operation between the NSA and GS1 in the fields of supply chain standards and technologies. It formally enables direct contributions by the NSA to the establishment of relevant GS1 standards. On an equal basis, the agreement formally enables GS1 to contribute to the standardisation activities of the NATO standardization community.

The NSA is an independent agency responsible for administering NATO STANAGs and activities conducted under the authority of the NATO
Committee for Standardisation (NCS).

In the field of supply chain standards, the alignment with GS1 will have an important influence on the smooth attribution and distribution of all functional goods and services a military unit requires in civil actions, from basic materials such as pens and paper, to food and beverage supplies, uniforms and blankets, technical material and tool kits, and all assets such as trucks, kegs and containers. The co-operation between the NSA and GS1 is expected to substantially improve and facilitate supply chain processes and procedures, especially in crisis situations, including situations of civil emergency relief or natural disasters, where a smooth operational exchange of equipment and supplies between the military and civilian sides, engaged in close co-operation, is more crucial than ever.

 

World Customs Organisation (WCO)

 

The World Customs Organization (WCO), with its 171 Members across the globe responsible for processing approximately 99% of world trade, is the only intergovernmental organisation uniquely focused on customs matters. Recognised as the voice of the international customs community, the WCO is particularly noted for its work in areas covering the development of global standards, the simplification and harmonisation of customs procedures, trade supply chain security, trade facilitation, customs enforcement and compliance, anti-counterfeiting and piracy initiatives, integrated border management, global customs capacity building programmes, the international Harmonized System goods nomenclature, customs valuation and rules of origin.

 

GS1’s identification numbers can provide the WCO with global standards for the management of goods and assets, and the reconciliation of data. These standards will contribute to the WCO’s efforts to secure the trade supply chain, protect society, facilitate international trade, and increase the efficiency and predictability of customs procedures at national borders.

World Health Organization (WHO)

 

WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

 

GS1 is member of the eHealth Standardization and Coordination Group (eHSCG), a platform to promote stronger coordination amongst the key players in all technical areas of e-health standardization.

 

GS1 is member of the Technology Sub-Group of the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT). IMPACT aims to build coordinated networks across and between countries in order to halt the production, trading and selling of fake medicines around the globe. IMPACT is a partnership comprised of all the major anti-counterfeiting players, including: international organizations, non-governmental organizations, enforcement agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturers associations and drug and regulatory authorities.