NEWS

Pressurized systems are found at the core of many of our key industries, including hospitals, chemical plants, and nuclear power stations – they are even in the heating systems in our homes. Sudden failure of these systems can be catastrophic, so industry first started work to standardize the design, operation, and maintenance in the 1880s. EN ISO 24817:2026 provides guidance on using advanced composite materials such as carbon or glass fibre reinforced epoxy resins (as an alternative to traditional methods) to enable the continued, safe operation of pressurized systems where inspection identifies points of concern.

World Standards Day this year marked an additional milestone for Europe's AI ecosystem. The day coincided with the publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) of the Commission Implementing Decision citing the first harmonized standard in support of the AI Act: EN 18286:2026 'Artificial Intelligence – Quality management system for EU AI Act regulatory purposes'.

On 15 October, Andreea Gulacsi, Director of Policy and External Affairs at CEN and CENELEC, participated in a public hearing of the European Parliament's Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) on the European Product Act. The hearing brought together representatives of the European Commission, national authorities, consumer organizations, industry and standardization bodies to discuss the New Standardization Regulation as well as the upcoming European Product Act that will set the future of EU product legislation.

Today, 14 October, we celebrate World Standards Day under the theme 'Shared vision for a better world: Spotlight on SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy'

Today, the European Commission published its proposal for the New Standardization Regulation, which would repeal Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012. CEN and CENELEC support the objective of making European standardization faster and more effective. However, several elements of the proposal risk weakening the very system it seeks to improve. Reform should strengthen, not fragment, the successful system Europe already has.

A new CEN/CLC Workshop is being established to explore the options of second life batteries in the context of an interoperable Battery Management System (BMS). The Workshop stems from work being done in Battery2Life – a project aiming to bring innovation to the European battery industry.

This autumn, EDU4Standards is bringing its Academic Standards Days to Ireland (15 October), Sweden (16 October), Belgium (26 October), Norway (18 November) and Finland (3 December). Designed for students, researchers, educators, and standards professionals, this series aims to increase interest and deepen the understanding of standardization within academia, laying the foundations to train a new generation of experts.

Following the Putting Science into Standards (PSIS) workshop that took place in October 2025 on the topic of 3D bioprinting, a scientific article was published in the Trends in Biotechnology Journal, together with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (RTD).

Following the strong response to its inaugural edition in 2025, the WE NORM THE FUTURE | Summit returns this autumn. Austrian Standards will host a series of Expert Talks addressing key issues for Europe’s standardization community. Most of the Expert Talks will be held in German. Live audio translation and subtitles in English, French and Italian will be available throughout via the streaming page, making the discussions accessible to an international audience.

We are pleased to inform you about the upcoming CEN and CENELEC activities in 2026.