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European Committee for Standardization

CEN

The European Committee for Standardization is a major provider of European Standards and technical specifications, recognized under EU law for planning and adopting standards across all economic sectors except electrotechnology and telecommunications.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Kerstin Jorna (Director-General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

9 Dec 2025 · Revision of the Standardisation Regulation

Meeting with Barbara Bonvissuto (Director Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

1 Dec 2025 · Revision of Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 CEN and CENELEC operating and action grants 2026 Impact of the ECJ ruling High-level Forum on European standardisation

Meeting with Barbara Bonvissuto (Director Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

1 Dec 2025 · • Revision of Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 • CEN and CENELEC operating and action grants 2026 • Impact of the ECJ ruling • High-level Forum on European standardisation

Meeting with Barbara Bonvissuto (Director Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

19 Nov 2025 · Meeting with CEN/CENELEC presidents and ADG of CCMC

Response to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – EU funding for competitiveness

6 Nov 2025

In January 2025, CEN and CENELEC published their position paper on the future 10th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10). On 11 March 2025, the European Parliament adopted its report on the Assessment of the implementation of Horizon Europe (A10-0021/2025), which highlights standardization as a driver of innovation and competitiveness. In July 2025, the European Commission released its legislative proposals for the successor to Horizon Europe and the new European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) together forming the EUs R&I policy framework for 20282034. While the Commission proposals mention standardization, they do not yet fully exploit its potential to strengthen Europes competitiveness and technological autonomy. CEN and CENELEC therefore propose targeted amendments to better connect research, innovation and standardization so that EU investments translate into interoperable, market-relevant and globally competitive European solutions.
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CEN and CENELEC call for standards-based Circular Economy Act

5 Nov 2025
Topic — The European Commission is consulting on a new Circular Economy Act.
Message — The organizations call for the act to formally rely on technical standards. They want specific mandates for standards covering waste criteria and product data sharing.12
Why — This would allow their members to reduce compliance costs and regulatory burdens.3
Impact — National regulators lose the power to maintain their own unique waste rules.4
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Response to European Framework for Science Diplomacy

3 Nov 2025

This discussion paper presents the views of CEN and CENELEC on the proposal for a recommendation by the European Commission on the European Framework for Science Diplomacy (link). It aims to highlight the essential role of standardization as a practical instrument of science diplomacy. Standardization transforms research outcomes into shared, interoperable solutions that can be trusted across borders. By translating scientific knowledge into globally recognised practices and norms, standards facilitate technical cooperation, build mutual understanding, and support rules-based international engagement. Therefore, standardization is not only a driver of innovation and competitiveness within the EU, but also an element of the Unions external action. It complements the EUs knowledge valorisation policy and diplomacy, ensuring that European values and excellence are embedded in the global governance of emerging and established technologies. The Commission report European Framework for Science Diplomacy (2025) recognises standards and technical regulations as foundations of technological and innovation-based competitiveness. This complements the EUs broader research and innovation policy framework, notably the upcoming Framework Programme 10 (FP10) and the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), which together aim to strengthen Europes global leadership through research excellence, innovation, and standardization. CEN and CENELEC support this recognition and propose further steps to make standardization an operational component of EU science diplomacy.
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Response to Digital package – digital omnibus

14 Oct 2025

CEN and CENELEC recommends that the EU use existing standards to ensure harmonization and reduce burdens on businesses. Standards can provide a common language and uniform processes that strengthen compliance and reduce fragmentation. In the area of cybersecurity, CEN and CENELEC recommends that reporting requirements be based on existing standards for incident management and information security. Regarding the AI (Artificial Intelligence) Act, CEN and CENELEC emphasizes that standardization is a key tool for implementation and should be carried out in broad cooperation between businesses, authorities, SMEs and civil society. CEN and CENELEC and its national members support the development of guidelines and resources for stakeholders to prepare for the coming AI standards. To alleviate burdens concerning electronic identity and trust services, the EC should seek to ensure synergy with the standards supporting the eIDAS Regulation.
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Response to European Innovation Act

2 Oct 2025

CEN and CENELEC, two of the European Standardization Organizations (ESOs), together with our Members the National Standardization Bodies (NSBs) and the National Committees (NCs), welcome the European Commissions Innovation Act and highlight the strategic role of European standardization in turning research into market-ready innovations, strengthening competitiveness, and ensuring Europes technological sovereignty. Key Recommendations: Embed standardization in R&I policies: Make standardization a systematic requirement in EU funding programmes, alongside IP; Recognize contributions to standards as legitimate research outputs. Build skills and awareness: Integrate standardization into higher education and training; Provide mentoring and support for researchers, SMEs, and start-ups. Support SMEs and start-ups: Incentivize participation in standardization through funding and networks; Use standardization as a positive criterion in the European Innovation Council and other EU programmes. Leverage all standardization tools: Promote agile instruments such as CEN-CENELEC Workshop Agreements (CWAs); Strengthen pre-normative research as well as symbiosis of standards and IP. Use standards as a strategic asset: Position standards at the core of the Single Market and European quality infrastructure; Ensure strong European influence in international standardization to shape global markets. The Innovation Act must fully integrate standardization as a key enabler of Europes innovation ecosystem, bridging research, regulation, and market uptake.
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Meeting with Ana Xavier (Head of Unit Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

2 Oct 2025 · CEN and CENELEC standards development process

Meeting with Guillaume Roty (Head of Unit Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

25 Sept 2025 · Review of Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 & upcoming revision of the Standardisation Regulation Access to standards Overview of the cooperation between the EC and CEN and CENELEC

Response to EU vision for enhancing global climate and energy transition

8 Sept 2025

CEN (the European Committee for Standardization) and CENELEC (the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) welcome the opportunity to contribute to the EUs strategy to boost the global climate and energy transition. The EU, through the Green Deal, has set ambitious climate, energy, and industrial goals, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050 while maintaining competitiveness and resilience. Achieving this requires more than policy ambition it demands scalable, interoperable, and globally aligned solutions that turn objectives into tangible results. Standards are essential enablers, even more so when it comes to boosting the climate and energy transition globally. This is where CEN and CENELEC and their national Members bring unique value: the EU can translate its climate and energy policies into concrete, deployable and global solutions thanks to our standards. Through our strong cooperation with ISO and IEC, we ensure that European expertise drives globally aligned standards, avoiding duplication and enabling EU clean technologies to scale worldwide. Embedding international standards into EU strategies strengthens Europes leadership while giving its industries a competitive edge. To fully leverage this potential, CEN and CENELEC are ready to work hand in hand with the European Commission to: Integrate international standardization into strategic EU dialogues (COP, trade, and bilateral partnerships) to ensure policy objectives become actionable. Support power market reforms, renewables deployment, and digital integration through harmonized technical frameworks. Enhance transparency and trust by aligning EU reporting requirements, such as ESRS, with internationally recognized standards. By placing standardization at the heart of Europes climate and industrial strategies, the Commission can accelerate clean energy deployment, foster innovation, and strengthen Europes leadership in the global transition. CEN and CENELEC stand ready as committed partners to make this vision a reality.
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Response to Omnibus Regulation Aligning product legislation with the digital age

2 Sept 2025

CEN and CENELEC support the European Commission's efforts to harmonize criteria for issuing common specifications. This is in principle positive, but it is crucial that the process is done in a way that ensures the involvement of a broad range of stakeholders, from societal stakeholders to Member States and industry (the actors who will later enforce and follow the specifications to gain access to the internal market). It is also important that there is a clear framework for the Commission's competences and for the possible withdrawal of common specifications. CEN and CENELEC urge the EC to follow the consistency set in recent legislative negotiations and continue to use the Machinery Regulation as blueprint for all future articles on common specifications, including in this proposed Omnibus.
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Response to Omnibus Directive Aligning product legislation with the digital age

2 Sept 2025

CEN and CENELEC support the European Commission's efforts to harmonize criteria for issuing common specifications. This is in principle positive, but it is crucial that the process is done in a way that ensures the involvement of a broad range of stakeholders, from societal stakeholders to Member States and industry (the actors who will later enforce and follow the specifications to gain access to the internal market). It is also important that there is a clear framework for the Commission's competences and for the possible withdrawal of common specifications. CEN and CENELEC urge the EC to follow the consistency set in recent legislative negotiations and continue to use the Machinery Regulation as blueprint for all future articles on common specifications, including in this proposed Omnibus.
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Meeting with Fulvia Raffaelli (Head of Unit Health and Food Safety)

22 Jul 2025 · Follow-Up on HIMSS Discussion – SANTE C1 & CEN

Response to Revision of the Standardisation Regulation

18 Jul 2025

CEN and CENELEC, two of the European Standardization Organizations (ESOs), together with our Members, the National Standardization Bodies (NSBs) and the National Committees (NCs), see the revision of the Regulation 1025/2012 as an opportunity to reinforce the role of the European Standardization System (ESS) and anchor it in an ever-evolving reality. We offer an experienced and trusted system from which we can support Europe in achieving global economic leadership. In our response to this call for evidence, CEN and CENELEC focus on the following key messages: Achieving Timely Standard-Development and Citation in the Official Journal of the EU; Tapping into the potential of all standardization deliverables; Strengthening Europes role and impact in international standardization; Strengthening the European Single Market through a clear legal framework for the use of European Standards; Embracing free readability while upholding the importance of copyright & intellectual property; Fostering inclusiveness and wider stakeholder participation. Please see the document uploaded for our full response.
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Meeting with Barbara Bonvissuto (Director Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

14 Jul 2025 · CEN/CENELEC meeting with decentralised Agencies

CEN and CENELEC advocate for standard-led industrial decarbonisation policy

8 Jul 2025
Topic — The initiative aims to accelerate investment and decarbonise Europe's energy-intensive industrial sectors.
Message — CEN and CENELEC urge the Commission to apply technical standards consistently and consult experts. They suggest using existing rules to support new technology and business growth.12
Why — A standardized approach helps these organizations maintain influence and lower business compliance costs.3
Impact — Global competitors may face hurdles if public contracts favor products meeting European preferences.4
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Meeting with Barbara Bonvissuto (Director Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

26 Jun 2025 · Participate at the CEN CENELEC Annual General Assembly and to speak in a panel discussion with the VP policy and representatives from the European Quality Infrastructure Network (EA & EURAMET).

CEN urges consistent standards for a competitive bioeconomy

23 Jun 2025
Topic — The consultation seeks to create a circular and climate-neutral European bioeconomy.
Message — CEN requests that the Commission apply standards consistently across legislation to promote long-term competitiveness. They emphasize horizontal terminology to ensure a level playing field and international positioning.123
Why — Harmonized standards simplify compliance and reduce administrative costs associated with certification processes.4
Impact — Large companies lose market dominance as lower barriers allow smaller competitors to enter.5
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Meeting with Barbara Bonvissuto (Director Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization and European Telecommunications Standards Institute

28 May 2025 · Exchange of view between European Standardisation Organisations and DG GROW

Meeting with Barbara Bonvissuto (Director Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and

10 Mar 2025 · Meeting between DG GROW and CEN/CENELEC on several topics related to the EU standards policy.

Standardization bodies seek central role in water resilience strategy

4 Mar 2025
Topic — The consultation develops a cross-sectoral plan for achieving a water resilient Europe.
Message — The EU should explicitly reference standardization in the Water Resilience Strategy. They request dedicated EU funding to support technical standardization efforts. They propose creating a new Technical Committee for water resilience.123
Why — This approach secures their central technical role and provides new EU funding.4
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Meeting with Kirsi Haavisto (Head of Unit Research and Innovation) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

19 Feb 2025 · Latest developments in innovation policies

Meeting with Barbara Bonvissuto (Director Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and

13 Feb 2025 · Meeting between DG GROW and CEN/CENELEC regarding the status of the implementation of the EU Court of Justice ruling on access to standards.

CEN and CENELEC demand stable partnership in Single Market Strategy

31 Jan 2025
Topic — The European Commission is seeking feedback on developing its Single Market Strategy 2025.
Message — CEN and CENELEC ask the Commission to ensure the long-term stability of the public-private partnership. They want new legislation to use existing product rules to support innovation and reduce administrative burden.123
Why — Stability and regulatory certainty would protect the group's influence and ensure necessary financial resources.45
Impact — Advocates for streamlined rules lose the option to bypass the lengthy industry consensus process.6
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Meeting with Svenja Hahn (Member of the European Parliament) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

18 Sept 2024 · Standardisation

Meeting with Magda Kopczynska (Director-General Mobility and Transport) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

17 Sept 2024 · - Priorities of CEN and CENELEC and the use of standardization - Sustainable Aviation Fuels - Future projects

CEN and CENELEC urge stronger EU-Canada standardization cooperation

12 Apr 2024
Topic — Evaluation of the economic and social impacts of the EU-Canada trade agreement.
Message — The organizations propose deepening cooperation with Canada to align standards for new technologies. They advocate coordinating international positions to avoid duplication and enhance interoperability.12
Why — Enhanced cooperation helps European businesses access markets and reduce technical trade barriers.3
Impact — International rivals may lose influence as the partners coordinate their positions.4
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Meeting with Ditte Juul-Joergensen (Director-General Energy) and EPIA SolarPower Europe and

26 Feb 2024 · Clean Transition Dialogue on EGD Infrastructures

Meeting with Maroš Šefčovič (Executive Vice-President) and

26 Feb 2024 · Clean Transition Dialogue on EGD Infrastructures

CEN and CENELEC urge use of standards to cut reporting

1 Dec 2023
Topic — The European Commission initiative aims to identify and simplify reporting requirements across EU legislation.
Message — The organization recommends that the European Commission consistently use European and international standards in EU legislation to alleviate administrative burdens. They argue this approach streamlines compliance and prevents the duplication of economic and societal efforts.123
Why — This would prevent the organization from being overlooked and secure its central role in EU policy.45
Impact — New specialized reporting bodies lose influence if the Commission prioritizes existing industry-led technical standards.6
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Response to Waste Framework review to reduce waste and the environmental impact of waste management

22 Nov 2023

CEN and CENELEC welcomes the revision of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD). The extension of the scope of the framework to textiles and food waste is a great step in strengthening the European circular economy. European Standards can play a vital role in providing the technical guidance needed to make the necessary practical changes to implement the ambitions laid out in this proposal. Therefore, CEN and CENELEC suggests that the European Commission consider the use of standards to define criteria in textile and food waste management.
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Response to Revision of the Toy Safety Directive

31 Oct 2023

CEN and CENELEC welcome the revision of the Toy Safety Directive and to continue the strong cooperation between the European Commission and European Standards. Understanding this, it is important to highlight: - Insist that standardization is the primary route for harmonized technical specifications - To recognize the success of the toy safety standards for the past 30 years to ensure that toys are safe to use - To maintain a close collaboration between CEN and CENELEC, European Commission and all stakeholders - Ensure that standardizers ready to embrace the future (e.g. DPP) - Align standardization with the necessary transitional period CEN and CENELEC also caution on the use of common specifications. -Harmonized European standards should always take precedence over common specifications in the implementation of the Regulation. This procedure maintains the state of the art and responsibly promotes safety and consensus through European Standards. -There needs to be a horizontal approach to common specifications across all single market directives. Specifically, the recent Machinery Regulation (2022) has been considered to be the bluebook text for common specifications.
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Standardization bodies urge EU to recognize role in financial data

20 Oct 2023
Topic — A legislative initiative extending financial data sharing across banking and insurance sectors.
Message — The organization requests a concrete reference to European standards organizations within the regulation text. They propose extending the timeframe for setting up data schemes to 24 months.12
Why — This ensures their technical work remains central to EU policy while reducing pressure.34
Impact — Consumers and digital finance startups face a delayed rollout of data-sharing benefits.5
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CEN and CENELEC demand exemption from SEP regulation duties

10 Aug 2023
Topic — A proposal to create a transparent registry for standard essential patents in Europe.
Message — They demand removal from duties related to the regulation’s execution. They refuse involvement in patent checks or setting license rates. They also request a distinction between recognized EU bodies and other organizations.123
Why — Exempting the organizations would prevent administrative duplication and maintain the authority of their existing databases.45
Impact — International bodies would lose the chance to be treated as equals to official European organizations.6
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CEN and ISO urge alignment of EU reporting with global standards

7 Jul 2023
Topic — Consultation on new rules for how companies report their environmental and social impacts.
Message — The organizations request that the Commission explicitly reference international standards in the reporting framework. They propose requiring companies to disclose compliance with established European and international technical standards.12
Why — This would lower costs for firms and solidify the organizations' global influence.3
Impact — Private firms selling proprietary sustainability data may lose their market advantage.4
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Response to European Critical Raw Materials Act

27 Jun 2023

CEN and CENELEC welcome the European Commissions proposal for the Critical Raw Materials Act, published 16 March 2023 and the aim to reinforce EU monitoring capacities and strengthen both the EU value chain (through the identification of mineral resources and raw materials projects in the EU's strategic interest, with strong environmental protection) and the EU external policies on CRMs. The CRMA has provided several references to the of use European Standards, how to make the relationship with international standards and what resources can be allocated to support these activities. In this paper, CEN and CENELEC would like to: encourage the EC to boost standardization activities in critical raw materials and to work with CEN and CENELEC to develop these European standards; agree on a joint Action Plan supporting necessary standardization activities, especially in consideration to international standards; encourage the increase of FTEs proposed by the EC for the implementation of the CRMA; provide a background on current standardization activities; make the link between the High Level Forum CRM priority topic and the CRMA; request that harmonized standards be used as the primary route for standardization and that delegated acts remain a fall back solution.
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CEN and CENELEC urge broader scope for net-zero standards

15 Jun 2023
Topic — The consultation addresses the Net-Zero Industry Act proposal for European green industry.
Message — CEN and CENELEC advocate for a broader scope prioritizing European and international standardization. They urge the Commission to prevent duplication and include training in the Net-Zero Academy.123
Why — This strategy preserves their authority and ensures Europe leads in global technical requirements.45
Impact — Emerging technologies risk being sidelined if regulatory definitions remain vague or narrow.6
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Response to Review of the Construction Products Regulation

12 Jul 2022

CEN and CENELEC welcome the objective of the proposal to achieve a well-functioning single market for construction products, avoid overlap of EU legislation and contribute to the EU objectives of the green and digital transition. A summary of the CEN and CENELEC key messages is presented below. CEN and CENELEC: • seek to work closely with the EC on the implementation of current CPR framework and the transition period and agree on an action plan to allow citation of some harmonized standards in the frame of the current CPR framework; • are willing to support the EC with developing guidance documents and supporting material for drafting of harmonized standards under the revised CPR (similar to the Joint Initiative on Standardization (JIS) Action 5); • seek collaboration with the EC, in the context of the revised CPR, to describe the roles, responsibilities and timelines for the involved stakeholders during the standardization process from standardization requests through the drafting to citation; o seek to achieve closer alignment with the EC proposal for the revision of the CPR and EU Reg 1025/2012, acknowledging that CEN and CENELEC promote the principle that harmonized standards are voluntary; • propose that the EC set the specific product requirements directly in standardization requests; • request that harmonized standards are considered the primary route for the development of harmonized technical specifications in support of the CPR and the development of delegated acts should be exceptional and used in limited cases as a fallback solution instead of an alternative equal solution to harmonized standards; • request the EC to establish a flexible mechanism to update the list of essential characteristics whenever during the development of a harmonized standard under a standardization request new technological developments or specific need emerge; • ask the EC to specify the exact products and intended uses (if needed) proposed to be excluded and request: -that sanitary appliances are covered in the scope of the revised CPR -the EC to define the final scope in cooperation with member states, European Parliament and all relevant stakeholders. • seek a modification to Article 34(4), as presented in Annex 1, with regard to ”affordable price" to avoid misinterpretation; • call for the EC to consider EN 15804 as the reference method for the calculation of environmental performance of construction products and EN 15978 as the reference method for the calculation of environmental performance of construction works.
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Response to Sustainable Products Initiative

22 Jun 2022

At its heart, the revision of the Directive 2009/125/EC on Ecodesign requirements for energy-related products to become a Regulation of the Ecodesign on sustainable products (ESPR), entails sustainability requirements as one of the means to achieve the European Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan. This EC proposal supports the transition to a more Circular model that is in line with the standardization work conducted in Europe. CEN, CENELEC, and Eco-CG welcome the EU Commission’s revision of the Ecodesign Directive for Sustainable Products, as circulated under a proposal within the Regulatory Package on 30 March 2022. Standardization is one of the pillars that made the Ecodesign Directive a success over the years and CEN and CENELEC are committed to contributing to the new Regulation’s implementation. Nevertheless, it should be noticed some points, more described in detail below, for helping for optimal enforcement and applicability of this expected new and updated Ecodesign directive for Stainable Products: Call to follow NLF Principles, for more coherence and consistency across legislation (Art. 35) CEN and CENELEC welcome the broadened scope of application to the widest range of sectors possible, and not only to energy related products. However, the Regulation’s Article 35 on common specifications does not follow the New Legislative Framework (NLF) principles foreseen by the EU harmonization legislation. Therefore if common specifications are to be maintained, we ask for an improvement of the text when this fallback option can be activated by the European Commission. Digital Product Passport (DDP) – no delegated acts CEN and CENELEC are pleased that the role played by standards is formally recognized and further extended, being prominent in the development of a Digital Product Pass (DPP). However, here again we call for the safeguard of the NLF principles and encourage the EC to pursue an effective system using voluntary standards. Ecodesign and energy labelling working plan for 2022-2024 It should also be pointed out that the delayed development of the “Ecodesign and energy labelling working plan for 2022-2024” demonstrates a lack of resources that could slow down the implementation of ecodesign requirements. Hence, CEN and CENELEC are ready to engage with the European Commission to address this matter together in order to avoid further delays in the future.
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CEN and CENELEC resist mandatory checks for essential patents

9 May 2022
Topic — The European Commission is seeking views on a new framework for standard essential patents.
Message — CEN and CENELEC argue that assessing patent essentiality is only possible after a standard is finalized. They refuse to participate in licensing negotiations or mandate third-party patent checks.12
Why — This would reduce operational costs and protect the organizations from legal liability in patent disputes.34
Impact — Companies using standards face increased uncertainty and litigation risks without early patent vetting.5
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Response to Amendment to the Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 European standardisation

7 Apr 2022

CEN and CENELEC welcome the proposed amendment of Regulation 1025/2012 which emphasizes the national delegation principle. For 60 years, CEN and CENELEC have proven to be consistent, market-driven and inclusive. The national delegation principle is at the heart of our core values and working methods, based on a network of National Standardization Organizations in 34 countries all across Europe, committed to engage a broad range of stakeholders for the development of European Standards. CEN and CENELEC acknowledge that the EC recognises the involvement of National Standardization Organizations from European non-EEA countries. Indeed, the CEN and CENELEC Members, including those from non-EEA countries, have the obligation to identically implement European Standards at national level, thus ensuring that 1 European Standard becomes the national standard in all 34 Member countries, providing a common level of quality, safety, security and sustainability. In order to preserve the strengths of our public-private-partnership - framed by Regulation 1025/2012 - and deliver a robust, resilient and efficient system, when supporting EU policies and legislations, CEN and CENELEC commit to engage in a constructive dialogue with the EC and to implement possible changes where necessary.
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Response to A partnership with the Gulf

2 Mar 2022

Please find enclosed CEN and CENELEC contribution to the European Commission's call for evidence for a partnership with the Gulf. Should the Commission wishes to engage in further discussions, CEN and CENELEC contact point is: Mr Eric Marchand Project Manager Market Perspectives and Innovation CEN-CENELEC Management Centre email: emarchand@cencenelec.eu Tel: + 32 2 55 00 969 Best regards, Eric Marchand
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Meeting with Maurits-Jan Prinz (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization and European Telecommunications Standards Institute

25 Jan 2022 · European Standardisation system

Meeting with Henrik Hololei (Director-General Mobility and Transport) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

20 Jan 2022 · standardization

Response to Standardisation Strategy

6 Aug 2021

We would like to thank the European Commission for organizing this consultation on the Roadmap of the “European Strategy for Standardization”. We welcome the consultation as a critical development in the joint efforts to build a robust, resilient, and competitive green economy for Europe, which encourages the alignment of strategies for and use of standardization as a key asset towards achieving these ambitions. Our feedback document details our proposals to address 5 specific areas in which standardization can support and for which a strong engagement with the European Commission is sought. These are supported by specific examples of what can be achieved together and that can shape our common aims going forward.
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Response to Revision of the Machinery Directive

7 Jul 2021

Introduction Background information On 21 April 2021, the European Commission (EC) adopted its proposal for the Machinery Regulation which will replace the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. At the same time, the EC launched a public consultation for feedback on the draft Machinery Regulation. With this document, CEN and CENELEC provide its position on this proposal. This paper is the outcome of the consultations which were carried out in the CEN-CENELEC Sector Forum on Machinery and in the CEN and CENELEC Technical Boards and among the TCs in charge of harmonized standards under the Machinery Directive . CEN-CENELEC input on the Machinery Regulation from December 2020 In December 2020, CEN-CENELEC provided its response to the first EC consultation on the Machinery Regulation which had been presented at the meeting of the EC Machinery Working Group, held on 9-10 November 2020. CEN and CENELEC regret that most of our requests were not taken into account and thus are not reflected in the EC proposal from 21 April 2021 (COM(2021) 202 final). Impact on standards The elements of the EC proposal which will create an immediate impact for CEN-CENELEC are the following: - EC implementing powers to develop technical specifications (Article 17.3 of the proposed Machinery Regulation), see also specific comment 1.; - the change in the conformity assessment procedure for high-risk machinery covered by the current Annex IV – i.e. the proposal to remove the internal check option in case of application of harmonized standards (Article 21.2), see also specific comment 3.; - the link between the Annex III of the proposed Machinery regulation and the “high risk AI system” in the AI regulation, see also specific comment 4.; - the multitude of changes in the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSRs) (Annex III) see also specific comment 5. & 6.; Considering the last aspect it is expected that the changes introduced by the EC proposal will have a high impact on the majority of harmonized standards if not on all of them. The full position of CEN-CENELEC is provided attached.
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Response to European Partnership on Metrology

18 May 2021

In a rapidly growing world, there is a continuing increase in requirements for improved measurements, metrology standards, for new or updated standards and for the adoption of metrological concepts in new areas such as biosciences, medicine, space, food, environment, energy, digitalization … Following a successful collaboration with EURAMET which started in the context of the EMRP programme, and which was intensified in the context of the EMPIR programme (16 Joint Research Projects addressing an EMPIR Normative call were in direct response to a standardization need communicated by CEN/CENELEC to EURAMET), CEN and CENELEC support the European Partnership on Metrology under Horizon Europe and look forward to continue working together with EURAMET within the new Partnership. The Standards community appreciate the role that metrology research plays in meeting the measurement-related needs of the standardisation process ensuring that the measurement needs are identified, verified and solutions implemented at an early stage in the process. Continued research in the European Partnership on Metrology under Horizon Europe, will underpin this.
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Meeting with Thor-Sten Vertmann (Cabinet of Commissioner Kadri Simson) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

29 Apr 2021 · The role of standardization in EU energy and climate policy.

Response to A European Health Data Space

3 Feb 2021

CEN Technical Committee 251 Health Informatics is very positive on the initiatives around a European Health Data Space. We see an important role for the standards that CEN/TC 251 produces in the problem area identified in the third bullet of the section “Problems the initiative aims to tackle”, as well as on the “Preliminary Assessment of Expected Impacts”. We have documented our input in attached document.
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Response to Climate change mitigation and adaptation taxonomy

18 Dec 2020

Response of the CEN/CENELEC Sector Forum Energy Management and Energy Transition to the public consultation on the first delegated act under the Taxonomy Regulation setting out the technical screening criteria for climate mitigation and climate adaptation economic activities The CEN/CENELEC Sector Forum Energy Management and Energy Transition (SFEM) strongly supports the Next Generation vision, the Green Deal and Renovation Wave Strategy. SFEM recognizes the significance of the taxonomy’s perspective, particularly in the current pandemic context and is working to provide de-risking tools to investors and end users to scale up market demand for energy efficiency improvement and energy transition. With respect to the evaluation of the sustainability of climate change related economic activities, European standards prepared by the official European standardization organizations are the most suitable tool to provide transparent and mutually accepted technical screening criteria and hence to pave the way for the early adoption of promising climate mitigation and climate adoption activities. Using standardized technical screening criteria will attract investors to invest in forward-looking projects by giving credibility to the innovative development. They will allow investors to assess the scalability potential of business funded by their investment, as well as the impact of financially material Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors, on the business model of the funded organization (materiality) in a transparent manner. Moreover, this will also substantially reduce the risk for the funded organization. Materiality, i.e. the relevance of a sustainability (ESG) factor to an organization’s financial performance, is the common ground, on which technical performance indicators are aligned with financial and non-financial (e.g. on environmental and sustainability aspects) reporting obligations. European Standards can be very instrumental to perform this alignment in a transparent and generally recognized manner. Technical screening criteria established by expert bodies and laid down in European standards are an excellent means to evaluate energy and environment related investments and in particular to de-risk investments in innovative and long-term energy/environment technologies and systems. These standards can be dynamically adapted to follow the evolution of the sustainability criteria. For these reasons, the creation of European standards for the establishment of technical screening criteria for investments climate mitigation or climate adoption activities should be considered as an important option to unlock the necessary funding and to enable a swift implementation of measures to support the ambitious European climate targets. The examples given hereafter will further illustrate the value added by standards to the assessment of the sustainability of energy/environment related investments • The improvement of Energy performance indicators (EnPIs), after and before the implementation of energy measures, are the starting point to evaluate financial benefits and the multiple benefits and assess the environmental impact as well as the do not substantially harm criteria (DNSH). Standards on the definition of EnPIs and Energy Baselines are providing the basis for this assessment • Sustainable finance requires a greater focus on cost effectiveness of the investments. This requires ex ante a good proxy of the expected energy efficiency improvement and an appropriate measurement plan ex post. Enhancing data quality and data proxies at the early stage of the value chain, will make the whole assessment more material. Standards on data models and data quality can provide a suitable response to this requirement • The EU Sustainable Platform announced the creation of subgroup tasked with working on further developing the EU Taxonomy and unveile
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Response to Review of the Construction Products Regulation

14 Aug 2020

CEN and CENELEC work across the construction sector, developing harmonized European standards in support of the Construction Products Regulation (Regulation EU 305/2011 - CPR). Harmonized standards provide a common technical language to be used by manufacturers to express the technical performance of their products, by regulators to express their requirements and by designers, contractors and other construction stakeholders to exchange information efficiently. These standards help facilitate the internal market by allowing the free movement of construction products within the EU. They can also help the EU to meet their goals with the EU Green deal, circular economy, the EU industrial recovery plan and address UN development goals. CEN and CENELEC support the current CPR framework but emphasize that for the correct implementation of the CPR, the European Commission must provide a solid legal basis for the CPR system to work. In this regard, mandates must be revised through standardization requests, and clear legal guidance must be provided. CEN and CENELEC call for a constructive dialogue with the European Commission to find joint solutions to improve the citation of harmonized standards and remain committed to ensuring that the European standardization system remains an effective, transparent and flexible mechanism, for the benefit of and supported by the industry and interested parties. CEN and CENELEC Technical Committees will continue their efforts to ensure standards in support of the CPR meet the criteria of the European Commission for citation in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). In this regard, two guidance documents have been developed for CEN and CENELEC Technical Committees: • CEN-CENELEC Guide 36 ’Guidance on the rules for drafting and presentation of candidate harmonized product standards for construction products’, and • Draft guidance document ’Core rules for drafting harmonized standards (hEN’s) for construction products’. The objective of these guidance documents is to answer various legal issues identified by the European Commission following rulings from the European Court of Justice for construction products. CEN and CENELEC seek a dialogue with the European Commission on these guidance documents to address pending issues with non-citations. For more than 60 years, the European Standardization System (ESS) has proven to be an inclusive, transparent and voluntary system supported by a network of 43 National Standardization Organizations in 34 countries, which always consider the diversity and specificity of all businesses and parties involved. CEN and CENELEC are European Standardization Organizations (ESOs) recognised by Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 on European standardization that develop construction product standards through a consensus process involving industry and interested parties. This process results in standards and other deliverables approved by CEN and CENELEC. Organizations representing SMEs and societal stakeholders play a major role within the ESS and CEN and CENELEC. They have the right, and are encouraged, to participate within CEN and CENELEC Technical Committees and Working Groups dedicated to the preparation of harmonized standards under the CPR. CEN and CENELEC support the current CPR system. However, if the CPR revision is confirmed, European harmonized standards adopted by ESOs shall be maintained as harmonized technical specifications for construction products. Further details on CEN and CENELEC’s principal messages are provided in the position paper attached.
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Response to Revision of the Machinery Directive

11 Feb 2019

CEN-CENELEC feedback to the EC Inception Impact Assessment 'Machinery Directive – revision' First, as a matter of course, any change of the essential health and safety requirements of the Machinery Directive would have a significant impact on both the published standards (currently 900) as well as on the standards under development (currently 300). In this respect, we would suggest not to increase the complexity of the existing set of essential health and safety requirements further, for example by transferring elements already specified in harmonised standards into Annex I of the directive. We would also like to highlight the importance of an early consultation and involvement of CEN and CENELEC regarding the potential change of these provisions. Secondly, CEN and CENELEC will continue providing inputs to the EU Artificial Intelligence policy strategies on the role of standardization. In this context, in December 2018, CEN and CENELEC decided to establish the CEN-CENELEC Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI). This follows the Stakeholders’ engagement workshop on AI organized in September 2018, during which it was announced that CEN and CENELEC will communicate the European standardization roadmap for AI. The final standardization AI Roadmap is expected to be delivered and communicated in Q1 2020. This activity may create results which can be of relevance for the revision of the Machinery Directive. Finally, we would like to use this opportunity to stress again the need to overcome the problem of outdated noise test codes in the current Outdoor Noise Directive 2000/14/EC (OND) which has a negative impact on certain harmonised standard under Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC dealing with noise. This is due to the link between the two legislation as specified in the EHSR 1.7.4.2 (u) of the Machinery Directive “Where specific Community Directives lay down other requirements for the measurement of sound pressure levels or sound power levels, those Directives must be applied and the corresponding provisions of this section shall not apply”. CEN and CENELEC favour a revision of the OND which is as much as possible in line with the principles of the New Approach in order to facilitate the adaptation of generic noise measurement standards and noise test codes to the state of the art and to guarantee the consistency of machine specific noise test codes between the OND and the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. According to the position stated by the Commission it is not possible that a state of the art noise test code specified in a standard gives presumption of conformity to the MD when it is conflicting with the outdated noise test codes from the OND.
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Response to European Electronic Health Record (EHR) Exchange Format

18 Dec 2018

This area of EHR interoperability has long been part of the CEN/ TC251 'Health Informatics' work programme. The current EC proposal is aligned with CEN/TC 251 business plan (2019-2022), which will focus on EU requirements as main priority. In this respect we urge the European Commission to engage with CEN when addressing any standardization needs for electronic health records. Attached our detailed feedback.
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Response to Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM)

16 Nov 2018

There are many challenges that could impede the deployment of connected and automated cars today. These include cybersecurity threats and trust issues, the data governance aspects (e.g. governance models; principles for car data sharing), privacy and data protection needs, and technology needs, but also include political ambition at both EC and MS levels, and commercially both of commercial opportunity and disruption to current business paradigms. CEN is very active and at the forefront of dealing with these issues through CEN TC278, Intelligent Transport Systems, and CEN 301, Road Vehicles. CEN offers its cooperation and active participation in progressing these issues. CEN TC278 has identified the opportunities and issues regarding CCAM / Automated vehicles / Autonomous Vehicles/ Connected vehicles (C-ITS) and its Working Groups (WG16 and WG17) are already addressing these issues. CEN/TC278 confirms the ECs view that major issues are cybersecurity threats and trust issues, the data governance aspects (e.g. governance models; principles for car data sharing), privacy and data protection needs, and technology needs, but at a practical level also include political ambition at both EC and MS levels, and, commercially, both of commercial opportunity and disruption to current business paradigms. However, there are also practical issues. Real world road tests (and unfortunate deaths from early generation vehicles using automated modes) have shown the weaknesses of relying on the vehicle alone to detect regulations and the environment. Initiatives in CEN/TC278, such as METR, EU-ICIP, and eCall for automated vehicles, etc. are designed to start to address these issues, but much more is needed and resources are limited. CEN/TC278 Working Groups WG16 and WG17 have CCAM issues on their agenda for 2019 and recommend close liaison and support with/from EC. CCAM will not happen until it is practical and safe. CEN/TC278 suggest a EC Implementing Decision would be appropriate.
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Meeting with Lowri Evans (Director-General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

19 Sept 2018 · Presentation and functioning of the European standardisation system

Meeting with Jean-Eric Paquet (Director-General Research and Innovation)

24 Jul 2018 · Proposal on Horizon Europe

Meeting with Carl-Christian Buhr (Cabinet of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

21 Feb 2018 · European Standardization supporting Digital Transformation

Meeting with Dominique Ristori (Director-General Energy) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

14 Apr 2015 · Smart cities