NEWS
Last year, the Institute for Standardization of Serbia (ISS) celebrated a significant jubilee: 90 years since the establishment of the standardization body in the region. To honour this event, a monograph was recently published, illuminating the development of standardization in Serbia, from its beginnings to the modern era.
Europe's energy transition is at a critical juncture. High costs and foreign gas reliance are crippling EU competitiveness (Draghi Report 2024). While SMEs are key to faster decarbonization, their voice in standardization is limited.
From podcasts to board games, Standards Norway is finding creative new ways to bring standardization to life. Whether exploring the implications of the EU AI Act, simulating consensus-building around the table, or offering online learning for businesses, these initiatives make standards more relevant, interactive, and inspiring than ever.
On 9 October 2025, ANEC, ECOS and CEN and CENELEC hosted a joint webinar titled “The Importance of an Inclusive Standardization System” to mark World Standards Day. The online event brought together participants from a wider audience to reflect on how inclusiveness strengthens the standardization process and contributes to achieving sustainable development.
On 23 September and 16 October 2025, CEN and CENELEC conducted two workshops on the premises of the European Commission’s DG Trade to present CEN and CENELEC international activities and discuss possible synergies. These workshops provided the opportunity to exchange with policymakers on CEN and CENELEC international policy and on how CEN and CENELEC can best support the EU’s trade policies with countries and regions outside Europe.
The 2025 IFAN International Standards Users Survey is an updated view of how organizations access and use standards, the challenges they are facing, and the elements on which organizations developing standards should focus to support them and deliver tangible value. With a record 861 responses across sectors and geographies, the results of the 2025 IFAN Survey confirm that quality and safety remain the primary drivers of the adoption of standards, while regulatory compliance and supplier requirements continue to justify their day-to-day usage with innovation increasingly recognized, especially when product development, R&D and design are viewed together.
Over the last months, ANEC has published several position papers on EU initiatives that will influence consumer policy and product legislation in the coming years.
On 22 October, the ETUC, in partnership with the Irish Confederation of Trade Unions (ICTU) and the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), will host a national event on standardization in Dublin.
It has now been confirmed that RISE and SIS will lead a European Working Group, mandated by the European Commission, to develop standards that can reduce the risk of facade-related fire disasters.
At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2025, held in Shanghai on July 26, Dr Sebastian Hallensleben, Chair of CEN-CENELEC JTC 21, delivered a keynote on Europe’s evolving AI standardization landscape. He emphasized the critical role of harmonized standards in supporting the implementation of the EU AI Act, particularly in high-risk applications, and stressed that these standards offer legal certainty for AI developers.