Guide 17 is an important CEN and CENELEC document that aims to raise awareness on the issues that are important to SMEs in the development of standards. For World Standards Day on 14 October 2024, CEN and CENELEC, together with SBS, the European association representing SMEs in standardization, produced a video to facilitate the participation of SMEs in standardization by promoting Guide 17.
Guide 17 proposes several strategies to address SMEs’ needs in the standards drafting process. It features:
- information on the preparation of new work items;
- issues to be considered when drafting a standard;
- developing the content of the standard;
- the structure and presentation of the content;
- the implications resulting from standards;
- a final checklist helping standard writers to take into account SME needs.
To make is easier to use Guide 17, various language versions are available for free on the CEN and CENELEC website.
You can learn more from the video here:
In addition, on 29 November 2024, there will be a webinar, organised by Small Business Standards and CEN and CENELEC, which will explore how Guide 17 helps ensure that standards are developed with SMEs in mind, making them simpler to implement. The webinar will focus on the key elements of the guide, why it's crucial for the broader uptake of standards, and how making standards SME-friendly benefits all businesses. Find more information on our website.
