NEWS

The High-Level Forum on European Standardization (HLF) was set up by the European Commission in January 2023 to advise on strategic political matters in this field based on the EU Strategy on Standardization. The HLF aims to identify standardization priorities in support of EU policies and legislation and discuss horizontal issues, such as international leadership and education and skills, in a multi-stakeholder setting. Within the HLF, horizontal and topical workstreams have been launched to further the work in diverse areas.

On Tuesday, March 4, a meeting of the technical committee SIST/TC UMI, dedicated to Artificial Intelligence, was held at the Slovenian Institute for Standardization. Aleksander Velkavrh, a young Standardization Ambassador and a student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, as well as Bojana Bogičević, a participant of the Autumn School of Standardization and also a student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, joined the meeting. Both had the opportunity to learn about the process of reviewing and adopting standards at the national level.

Austrian Standards has partnered with the Serbian organization ‘Centar za digitalnu transformaciju’ (CDT), which translates as ‘Centre for Digital Transformation’. CDT is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. The aim of the co-operation is to strengthen personal certification in the Balkan region through high-quality programmes and practical training.

As beverage containers and their caps regularly head the top 10 list of single-use plastic items found on beaches, the European Union has issued Directive 2019/904/EU on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.

In a bold move to support the burgeoning startup ecosystem, the Portuguese Standardization Body – Instituto Português da Qualidade (IPQ) – presents the standard NP 4595 ‘Approach to Quality Management and Innovation in Startups – Requirements and Guidelines’. This pioneering standard is the first of its kind, not only at a national level but also on the international stage, designed specifically to help startups stand out in an increasingly competitive market.

The Institute for Standardization of Serbia (ISS) held a well-attended promotional seminar, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Standards, European Regulations, Legislation and Challenges in Practice," on 11 February 2025.  Over 50 participants explored fundamental AI terminology, concepts, risks, and organizational management strategies.  The training also covered key AI standards, including SRPS ISO/IEC 22989:2023, ISO/IEC 42001:2024, SRPS ISO/IEC 23894:2023, SRPS ISO/IEC 38507:2023, and ISO/IEC FDIS 42005.

Austrian Standards is taking a pioneering role and is the first standardization organization in Europe to offer objective evidence in the form of certification for people who can support AI projects in the spirit of digital humanism. The first globally available standard for ethical system design ISO/IEC/IEEE 24748-7000 forms the basis for this, in combination with elements of the management standard ISO/IEC 42001 on AI. Responsible handling of AI and digital data requires predetermined framework conditions, including reliable standards.

The third session of the Expert Council of the Croatian Standards Institute (HZN) was held on 21 November 2024, in the conference hall of Hotel International Zagreb. The meeting gathered representatives of companies and academia, as well as HZN employees, who discussed important topics related to standardization and its role in the sustainable development of Croatia.

The Italian Organization for Standardization received the special award for Sustainability Communication at the 60th edition of Oscar di Bilancio, organized by FERPI, the Italian Public Relations Federation, Italian Stock Exchange, and Bocconi University.

In November, Meeting Standards, the annual campaign week hosted by Small Business Standards (SBS), took place. A variety of events were organized by standardization bodies and SME organizations throughout Europe. The goal was to raise SME awareness of the strategic benefits of standardization, fostering SME involvement in standards development and connecting SMEs with standardization organizations across Europe.