NEWS

The chemical sector is a pillar of the EU economy. According to the European Commission, it accounts for 7,5% of the EU manufacturing turnover, provides 1,2 million direct highly skilled jobs, and its sales amount to €565 billion (2018). As recently stated by Kerstin Jorna, Director General at DG GROW, the chemical industry is at "the beginning of everything", meaning that it is key to many other sectors for manufacturing their products.

For the last six years there has been a recurring debate in Europe on the trace chemicals found in absorbent hygiene products (AHPs). This debate was triggered by articles on this topic published in consumer magazines which raised questions on the safety of AHPs, and led to a so-called restriction proposal for the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) to restrict the use of chemicals in absorbent hygiene products. The process concluded in 2022, and while it found that the risks could not be demonstrated, it did conclude that there is a strong need for a harmonized analytical method that delivers robust and accurate test results.

“RECLAIM "REmanufaCturing and refurbishment LArge Industrial equipMent", is a European project promoting the circular economy with remanufacturing strategies, predictive maintenance and renovation of industrial machinery in various sectors. Over 20 research centers, University and industry representatives from 9 European countries have formed RECLAIM with the aim of providing circular solutions that can help the European manufacturing sector meet future market demands.

This CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) specifies the requirements for acquiring digital information from victims during a search and rescue SAR operations. Furthermore, it establishes requirements of digital victim tracking systems during a search and rescue mission. Furthermore, it establishes requirements of digital triaging during a search and rescue mission regarding the categories of safety, usability, data protection, security and system compatibility.

The aim of this proposed Workshop is to provide a standardised set of consistent guidelines for handling coordinate systems, official fixpoints, surveying points and markers used in construction projects and on site for BIM construction projects.

The preparations for the High-Level Forum on European Standardization officially began on 10 January 2023, with the first meeting of the Sherpa sub-group. CEN and CENELEC are proud to be sending three experts each to the Sherpa sub-group, to contribute to the coordination of the Green, Digital, and Resilient priorities which will steer the work of High-Level Forum. 

The transport of dangerous goods (TDG) is a field where the precision of control, measurement and event data of electronic equipment is crucial. To ensure the necessary level of precision, high-level standards are fundamental. Therefore, new EN 15969-1:2022 ‘Tanks for transport of dangerous goods - Digital interface for the data transfer between tank vehicle and with stationary facilities - Part 1: Protocol specification - Control, measurement and event data’, which addresses this need, is a welcome addition to CEN’s portfolio. 

Gas turbines are a fundamental tool to ensure the steady supply of energy: at the heart of power plants, they act as an engine that turns natural gas into mechanical energy. In turn, this energy generates the electricity that moves along power lines to our homes and businesses.

The Covid-19 pandemic made the need for shared rules on community face coverings particularly urgent. In response, CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, developed in record time an initial deliverable that could provide the necessary guidelines: CEN Workshop Agreement 17553:2020 ‘Community face coverings - Guide to minimum requirements, methods of testing and use’. Although a Workshop Agreement (also known as CWA) does not count as an official standard, as it involves no obligation at the national level, thanks to its simplified format it can be produced and disseminated very quickly, and therefore it can help fill urgent needs.

The current energy crisis due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine has seriously impacted Europe’s traditional energy supply, with important consequences for its economy. In response, the continent is striving to find solutions to diversify its energy mix and increase its ‘strategic autonomy’.