The developing Single European Market has created conditions which call for a harmonization of standards. This means that national standards, in Germany the DIN standards, will have to be replaced by European CEN standards. This has caused a number of business sectors with extensive technological and hence economic relations with countries outside Europe - for example, the oil and natural gas industry - to push on with the development of ISO standards. An essential objective of standardization is the improvement of products and services. At the same time efforts are being directed towards opening up the market of the European Community to competition on the basis of uniform standards. With a view to coordinating standardization activities, relevant agreements have been reached between the CEN and ISO committees, including provisions for the mutual acceptance of standards.