NEWS

CEN/TC 133 'Copper and copper alloys' develops standards in the field of unwrought, wrought and cast products made from copper and copper alloys, and addresses topics such as designations, terms and definitions, material specifications, and testing methods.

Railway travel has long been celebrated for its efficiency and environmental benefits. Yet passenger experience, particularly ride comfort, remains a crucial aspect for improving rail systems. The European Standard EN 12299:2024, recently developed by CEN/TC 256, provides a groundbreaking methodology for evaluating and enhancing ride comfort in rail vehicles. This updated standard replaces the 2009 version, introducing advanced methods to ensure passenger comfort is measurable, repeatable, and aligned with modern rail technologies.

Last month, a critical update in the world of small craft safety was introduced with the release of EN ISO 15085:2024, focusing on preventing man-overboard accidents and providing solutions for reboarding. Developed by ISO/TC 188 ‘Small Craft’ mirrored at the European level by CEN/TC 464, this standard sets out detailed requirements to enhance the safety of small craft, providing a safer environment for users and reducing risks of falling in the water.

The need for clear, consistent terminology around assistance dogs has become more critical than ever, especially as individuals with disabilities rely on these essential companions for independence and support in a variety of settings.

A new standard was recently published about the minimum safety characteristics for powered inflatable boats and rigid inflatable boats. The goal is to have increased safety for the different design categories of recreational crafts.

Many of the experts in Working Group 1 of TC 228 have been working on diving standards since the turn of the millennium. At first, work was carried out at the European level, in WG3 of CEN TC 329 ‘Tourism Services’. Immediately after ISO TC 228 ‘Tourism and related services’ was founded in 2007, work continued at the ISO level, and ‘Diving Services’ became the first Working Group (WG1) of ISO TC 228. Practically, all the standards produced by TC 228 WG1 have also become European standards (EN ISO), in accordance with the procedures laid out in the Vienna Agreement.

Lipids are a class of natural organic substances characterized by a very low water solubility, a high organic solvent solubility and a high carbon and hydrogen content. They can be used, for example, to produce biofuels. In Europe, there is growing interest in algae and algae-based products or intermediates as they are a valuable source of many nutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and pigments. They can be used in a variety of sectors, including food, textiles, cosmetics, or biofuel.

CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, welcomes the publication of EN 1384:2023 'Helmets for equestrian activities’ as a harmonized standard (hEN), after its citation in the official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) on 11 December.

CEN just published two CEN workshop agreements: CWA 18028:2023 and CWA 18024:2023. These documents were developed by CEN/Workshop IPCI (Improvement of information processing in crisis management of critical infrastructures for computer assisted data gathering, display and reporting) based on the results of a standardization gap analysis and resulting pre-standardization activities promoted by  STRATEGY project funded under the EU Horizon 2020 program.

CEN and CENELEC, together with IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)  just published a new Workshop Agreement, CWA 18016 ‘Age appropriate digital services framework’. This document describes a set of processes to help design and develop online products and services with the rights and well-being of children in mind.