CEN and CENELEC, two of the officially recognized European Standardization Organizations, welcome the European Commission's recently issued Competitiveness Compass. This strategic initiative is a positive and bold first step towards reinforcing the EU's ability to lead in the world economy and advance the twin green and digital transitions.
CEN and CENELEC have a long-standing history of working closely with the European Commission on the basis of the New Legislative Framework to develop and implement standards that strengthen the Single Market, drive technological innovation, and enhance the global competitiveness of European industries.
European standards (ENs) are a cornerstone of economic integration: they facilitate the free movement of goods and services, ensure interoperability, and provide businesses — especially SMEs — with a clear and predictable regulatory framework. By reducing technical barriers to trade and reinforcing safety, sustainability, and performance requirements, standards contribute directly to the EU's strategic autonomy and industrial leadership on the global stage.
The Competitiveness Compass recognizes the role of standards to achieve its objectives and highlights the necessity for a more agile and responsive standardization system to meet the evolving needs of European regulators and industries. CEN and CENELEC are committed to working with the European Commission and other stakeholders to implement this vision and foster harmonization in the Single Market, ensuring that European standards continue to facilitate innovation, enhance competitiveness, and uphold EU values.
We also believe it is essential that the announced revision of Regulation 1025/2012 maintains its commitment to the successful public-private partnership that has supported standardization’s ability to meet the needs of standards developers and users across the Single Market.
A recent example of this collaborative spirit is the High-Level Forum on European Standardization (HLF), which convened on 29 January 2025 for its summit. The HLF gathered representatives from EU member states, standardization bodies, industry, civil society, educational institutions and SMEs to review two years of coordinated efforts. CEN and CENELEC were represented by our presidents, Stefano Calzolari (CEN) and Riccardo Lama (CENELEC), who both had the opportunity to speak up.
Stefano Calzolari spoke about the need for good planning crucial for managing innovative projects related to the current challenges. He also emphasized the necessity of a dialogue involving all stakeholders of the European Standardization System (ESS) as it is inevitable for designing a new collaborative structure that provides stability and respect to the current successfully established principles.
Riccardo Lama highlighted that the voice of industry must be at the centre in order to be competitive globally and reminded participants of the importance of teamwork from all parts of the ESS, each having an important role.
The discussions confirmed the strategic importance of standards: participants recognized them as essential for EU competitiveness and the seamless functioning of the Single Market, particularly in sectors such as clean technology, defence, cybersecurity, digital product passports, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
There was also a strong emphasis on the need for agility in the standardization system, highlighting the urgency of developing a faster and more flexible framework to address the dynamic requirements of European stakeholders. Additionally, the Forum underscored the necessity of enhanced collaboration to amplify Europe's influence on international standardization outcomes, ensuring they align with EU interests and values. Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy Stéphane Séjourné concluded the meeting underlining the importance of standardization for Europe’s competitiveness.
CEN and CENELEC are dedicated to advancing these priorities. By fostering a robust, inclusive and pragmatic standardization framework that puts industry at the centre, we aim to support Europe's strategic autonomy and ensure that standards continue to serve as a foundation for sustainable growth and innovation, reinforcing Europe's position as a global leader in standardization.
