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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Standardisation requests

Standardisation results from voluntary cooperation between industry, businesses, public authorities, and other stakeholders. About a fifth of all European standards are developed following a standardisation request from the European Commission to the European Standardisation Organisations (ESOs). This is a request to draw up and adopt European standards or European standardisation deliverables in support of EU’s legislation and poicies. European standards and European standardisation deliverables, even when drafted under a Commission request and for European legislation, usually remain voluntary. However, when European standards are adopted, National Standardisation Bodies (NSBs) should transpose them into identical national standards and withdraw any conflicting national standards. 

How does it work?

Draft requests are drawn up by the Commission services through a process of consultation with a wide group of interested parties including social partners, consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industry associations and EU Member States. Before being formally sent to the ESOs, they are submitted to the Committee on Standards set up under Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 or a Comitology vote. If this vote is positive, the Commission adopts the request as a Commission Implementing Decision. 

The ESOs, which are independent organisations, have the right to refuse a request. 

Database of standardisation requests

The standardisation requests adopted by the Commission on the basis of Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 are available in the database of standardisation requests (eNorm Platform). The requests are available in English, French and German. 

More information on standardisation requests