A standard (French: norme, German: Norm) is a document that provides rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, for common and repeated use. Standards are created by bringing together all interested parties including manufacturers, users, consumers and regulators of a particular material, product, process or service. Everyone benefits from standardization through increased product safety and quality as well as lower transaction costs and prices.
Each European Standard is identified by a unique reference code which contains the letters 'EN'. A European Standard is a standard that has been adopted by one of the three recognized European Standardization Organizations (ESOs): CEN, CENELEC or ETSI. It is produced by all interested parties through a transparent, open and consensus based process.
European Standards are a key component of the Single European Market. Although rather technical and mostly unknown to the public and media, they represent one of the most important issues for businesses. Often perceived as boring and not particularly relevant to some organizations, they are actually crucial in facilitating trade and hence have high visibility among manufacturers inside and outside Europe. Standards provide individuals, businesses and all kinds or organizations with a common basis for mutual understanding. A standard represents a model specification, a technical solution against which a market can trade. It codifies best practice and is usually state of the art.
In essence, European Standards relate to products, services or systems. Today, however, standards are no longer created only for technical reasons but have also become enablers for greater social inclusiveness and engagement with technology, as well as convergence and interoperability within growing markets across industries.
A Technical Specification (TS) is a normative document, the development of which can be envisaged when various alternatives that would not gather enough as to allow agreement on a European Standard (EN), need to coexist in anticipation of future harmonization, or for providing specifications in experimental circumstances and/or evolving technologies.
A Technical Specification is established by a CEN and/or CENELEC Technical Body and approved through a weighted vote by the CEN and/or CENELEC national members. The TS shall be announced at national level. It may be adopted as a national standard, but conflicting national standards may continue to exist. A Technical Specification may however not conflict with a European Standard. If a conflicting EN is subsequently published, the TS is withdrawn.
No time limit is specified for the lifetime of TSs, but the responsible Technical Body shall ensure that they are reviewed at intervals of not more than 3 years, starting from their date of publication by CCMC.
A Technical Report (TR) is an informative document that provides information on the technical content of standardization work. It may be prepared when it is considered urgent or advisable to provide additional information to the CEN and CENELEC national members, the European Commission, the EFTA Secretariat, other governmental agencies or outside bodies.
A Technical Report is established by a CEN and/or CENELEC Technical Body and approved through a simple majority vote by the CEN and/or CENELEC national members. It involves no obligation at national level.
No time limit is specified for the lifetime of TRs, but it is recommended that they are regularly reviewed by the responsible Technical Body to ensure that they remain valid.
A Guide is a document that gives rules, orientation, advice or recommendations relating to European standardization.
Guides are approved by a corporate body through a simple majority vote. Guides providing information or guidance on technical work shall be approved by the Technical Board, all others being approved by the General Assembly or Administrative Board.
A Harmonization Document (HD) is a normative document made available by CENELEC in the three official languages.
The elaboration of a HD includes a public enquiry, followed by an approval by weighted vote of CENELEC national members and final ratification. The Harmonization Document is announced at national level and every conflicting national standard is withdrawn. Having fulfilled these obligations, a member is free to maintain or issue a national standard dealing with a subject within the scope of the HD, provided that it is equivalent in technical content. The number, title and date of each such national standard shall be notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre. A Harmonization Document does not conflict with any other EN and HD and is periodically reviewed.
During the elaboration and whole lifetime of the Harmonization Document, standstill applies.
The preparation, the approval and the review of an HD follow the same procedure as that given for an EN.
A CEN and/or CENELEC Workshop Agreement (CWA) is a document published by CEN and/or CENELEC in at least one of the three official languages.
A CWA is an agreement developed and approved in a CEN or CENELEC Workshop; the latter is open to the direct participation of anyone with an interest in the development of the agreement. There is no geographical limit on participation; hence, participants may be from outside Europe. The development of a CWA is fast and flexible, on average between 10-12 months.
A CWA does not have the status of a European Standard. It involves no obligation at national level. A CWA may not conflict with a European Standard; if a conflicting EN is subsequently published, the CWA shall be withdrawn.