Standardization is an effective instrument of self-regulation for industry. It serves the interests of society as a whole, and not the economic interests of individual parties. DIN ensures that all stakeholders in standardization have access to standards work. In Germany, issues regarding the safety and welfare of the general public are dealt with by experts representing public authorities at the Federal, state and communal level.

In turn, the German government refers to DIN Standards in legislation rather than drawing up its own technical specifications. Thus, standardization contributes to deregulation. A system in which a government service is funded and operated through a partnership of government and a private sector organization (such as DIN) is called a "public-private partnership" (PPP). The PPP principle has been a feature of German standardization for nearly 100 years and was formally set down in a "Standards Agreement" over 40 years ago. This Agreement was a model for a similar cooperation at European level called the "New Approach".

An instrument of deregulation

Standards help relieve the legislative burden on the State: Legislators can concentrate on overall issues and protection objectives, referring to standards for technical details. More