The HRN is composed of representatives of economic actors, consumer organizations, worker organizations, social interest groups and academics. The secretariat of the HRN is carried out by the FPS Economy.
A number of opinions formulated by the HRN relate to the activities of the NBN. The NBN took these opinions to heart in 2022 and developed specific actions around them.
- During the COVID crisis, a standard was rapidly developed for mouth masks. Based on this approach, the HRN formulated a recommendation to develop technical documents in the context of emergencies. The processes of the NBN are such that a technical document can be developed quickly to respond to similar emergencies. However, proper coordination at the government level remains a prerequisite for the NBN to respond quickly to certain questions.
- Given that standards are protected by copyright, the HRN asked the NBN to develop a guide on the use of standards and their content. The NBN worked in 2022 to develop an IP guide that provides a brief explanation of copyright and clearly outlines the options available to our customers and partners for using the content of standards. This guide will be published in 2023.
- The HRN also welcomed the way in which the NBN has been preparing its annual report for several years. The HRN also advocated that the actions taken by the NBN as a result of these opinions should also be included in the annual report. With this short report, we think we are meeting this need.
