On 12 February 2025, the Presidential Committee approved the new three-year mandate of the PC Advisory Body on SMEs (SME-WG). This group has long served as a key platform for addressing the needs and concerns of small and medium-sized enterprises within the CEN and CENELEC system.
The SME-WG plays a vital role in fostering dialogue between CEN and CENELEC, Small Business Standards (SBS), and other relevant associations including IFAN, SME Safety, and Digital SME Alliance.
During the previous mandate of the SME-WG, under the Chairpersonship of CEN and CENELEC Vice-President Policy Ewa Zielińska, the group successfully worked on key priorities, including:
- Advocating for the interests of SBS and other SME associations in European standardization.
- Supporting the effective implementation of the right of opinion by extending the right of opinion to SBS.
- Cooperating regularly for awareness raising activities, for example during the annual Meeting Standards campaigns.
- Contributing to the High-Level Forum Workstream 3 on ‘NSBs – peer review (+ SMEs & civil society inclusiveness)’ for the finalization of recommendations.
The SME-WG launched its new mandate with a first meeting on 28 March 2025, where members discussed strategic goals and priorities for the coming years. The group reaffirmed its commitment to supporting SMEs in standardization by holding annual meetings to align on key priorities and collaborating on national and European-level initiatives. The group agreed to develop an Action Plan for the new mandate that reflects recent developments, including recommendations from the High-Level Forum Workstream 3.
On 15 May 2025, Ewa Zielińska presented the newly developed Action Plan to the Presidential Committee, and it has now been formally approved. Preparations are underway to begin implementation, with the active involvement of SME-WG members.
CEN and CENELEC look forward to continuing the close collaboration with the SME-WG members to ensure a more inclusive European standardization system.
