Millions of businesses are applying and using standards every day. European Standards (ENs) are a key to success at a societal and economic level. They are the result of a consensus reached through extensive exchanges amongst relevant experts representing Industry, SMEs, Civil society, etc...
They deliver state-of-the-art solutions that encourage technological development and look after the public interest on aspects like health and safety, the protection of workers, consumers, and the environment. Business wise, ENs provide companies with a strategic tool to increase their competitive edge and place widely accepted products and services on the market.
They help businesses of all sizes better manage the quality of their products and services and improve the design, engineering, production, installation, etc.
At European level, CEN and CENELEC have built several dedicated ways of engaging the relevant stakeholders in European standardization:
By using European Standards, your business can take full advantage of the Single Market and reach up to 600 million potential consumers across Europe.
European Standards published by CEN and CENELEC are recognized and accepted by the National Standardization bodies in 34 countries, so you can be sure that when you apply these standards, you will be able to sell your products and/or services in all these countries.
Europe is the region that has the largest implementation percentage of international standards. Standards grant access to the global market and are an important asset in contributing to the international dimension of Europe. CEN’s ties with the ISO (the International Organization for Standardization), are settled through the Vienna Agreement and CENELEC's tie with IEC (The International Electrotechnical Commission). These agreement allows the widening of trade borders of the European Union, and guarantees a strong European presence at international level. Through the involvement of experts in Technical Committees, European and national expertise is being developed and recognized globally.
For European businesses, standards have become a strategic management tool to increase their competitive edge.
Standards facilitate competition by making it easier for customers to choose between different suppliers offering equivalent products or services. Purchasers are able to choose between products or services that comply with the same standards by looking at differences in terms of quality, price, and other criteria.
Standards also contribute to reducing waste and improving efficiency For example, European Standards that integrate ‘Ecodesign’ principles are valuable tools for reducing energy consumption thereby helping consumers to save money.
In the European standardization community we continuously analyse, look for solutions and evolve in addressing the challenge of new technologies and innovation such as smart meters, green data centres, smart grids, sustainable building design, renewable energies, electric vehicles, co-generation, just to mention a few. Most of these areas show that European standardization has put energy efficiency and sustainability at the heart of its agenda. By doing so, we prove our firm commitment to contribute to the EU 2020 targets to reduce low-gas carbon emissions.
European and international standards are developed by experts from many different countries who share their knowledge and expertise in a particular field. These standards are also reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that they take account of the latest scientific, technological, regulatory and market developments.
By referring to the current versions of relevant standards, you can benefit from having access to the best available knowledge and state-of-the-art solutions.
The European Standardization System provides you also with a trustworthy platform on which you can build your innovations.
The close cooperation between the three European Standardization Organizations (ESOs) addresses cross-sectoral standardization activities and provides a system approach to new areas of standardization. Indeed, standardization channels innovation thereby increasing industry's competitiveness, bringing new export opportunities and economic growth and hence contributes to the recovery of Europe's economy.
CEN and CENELEC are enhancing their links with Research & Development (R&D) in order to reinforce the role of standards as a tool for market penetration of R&D results through the development of an integrated strategy, better promotion of the benefits of standardization to relevant R&D partners, and active involvement in EU-funded research and innovation projects.
European Standards provide clear guidelines and instructions that, when correctly applied, should ensure that a product or service will satisfy a series of specific quality criteria, corresponding with customers’ requirements.
By implementing the relevant standards, you can achieve better levels of performance and reliability. This will help you to attract and retain customers for your products and services, thereby making your business more competitive and successful.
Standards can help companies and other organizations to ensure that their products and services fulfil the requirements of relevant legislation.
Some European Standards (called ‘harmonized standards’) enable companies to make sure that their products, services or processes comply with the requirements of specific EU directives and/or regulations. Those who apply these standards are said to benefit from a ‘presumption of conformity’ with the relevant legal requirements.
Standards are a useful tool for ensuring that different products and components are mutually compatible and will function properly when connected together. This objective - also known as interoperability - is vital for numerous industries.
By paying close attention to standards, you can make sure that all the products and services you provide are compatible with each other, and that they will also work with products and services offered by other companies and organizations.