Doris Möller is a lawyer and has been the President of RAL since 2017. In our interview, she talks about her personal highlights from almost six years of voluntary work at the helm of RAL. She shares her thoughts on which new networks and sectors can benefit from RAL Quality Marks and talks about the events related to RAL Quality Marks that she is particularly looking forward to in 2023.
They have certainly been very eventful years with lots of special and memorable moments. In particular, I look back very fondly on the move to the new RAL building at the beginning of my presidency. It represents the RAL “world” like a brand both internally and externally.
In keeping with the motto “More space for ideas, events and people!”, the new RAL building has opened up many new possibilities for RAL that were not available before. For example, the RAL Forum has found a perfect home in the new conference rooms, our members – the RAL Quality Assurance Associations – now frequently visit the building to hold their own events in our well-equipped rooms and the RAL team has continued to grow. Our numbers have since grown from 35 to 60 employees.
I am always delighted to oversee the creation of new RAL Quality Marks in a wide variety of different sectors because they improve the quality of both products and services and also give the certified companies a competitive advantage. However, I would like to highlight two special projects because they impact fundamental areas of life for consumers in Germany: clothing and nutrition.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has developed a state-approved label for sustainable textiles called the Green Button. The Green Button label is awarded to products that are manufactured in a socially and ecologically sustainable way and highlights those companies who take responsibility for their actions in supply chains and production processes.
RAL will also become the national regulator for the nutritional labelling system Nutri-Score from spring this year. This labelling system makes it easier for consumers to compare different foods and thus allows them to make better decisions on a daily basis for a healthy life. Companies who participate in this system provide greater transparency and a larger amount of information about their products.
Both labels also emphasise the importance of the different divisions at RAL with respect to consumer protection and the role that RAL plays as a true labelling expert.
The fact that we currently have 152 Quality Marks and 117 Quality Assurance Associations demonstrates how many different industries and sectors have already established and are currently using RAL Quality Marks.
However, there are of course still a few blind spots on the map and some opportunities for the creation of additional ones. As a frequent traveller, I believe that there is an opportunity to create meaningful RAL Quality Marks in the tourism sector and for hotels or car sharing services. They could also be beneficial for services related to the protection of monuments or for sustainable packaging in drugstores and supermarkets. The IT and programming sector could also benefit from RAL Quality Marks. As you can see, there is still lots of potential for new RAL quality assurance schemes in these areas!
One of the most important things for me is to raise awareness for and stimulate new interest in RAL Quality Marks. An ideal event for this purpose is the BVMW Annual Reception 2023 that is due to be held on 1 March in Berlin. On the one hand, we will use this important networking event for medium-sized companies to talk to many important players from the worlds of politics and industry both in Germany and Europe. Furthermore, we will also have a RAL Quality Mark stand at this event, which is also being held under the banner of “Future Day for Medium-Sized Companies”. We will use the stand to inform people about the benefits of the RAL quality assurance system.
Alongside many new faces, I also hope to meet some old acquaintances from the RAL Quality Mark universe. Don’t forget to pay a visit to our stand if you are attending the event. The RAL team is looking forward to meeting you!
Other themes such as consumer protection or attracting new sectors and interest groups will continue to be an important focus for us. There are also some other interesting networking events planned in the future. And even though it is still a little while away: We will be celebrating the 100 year anniversary of RAL in 2025. The preparations to mark this occasion are already well underway behind the scenes.
