NEWS

Every day, millions of people rely on Europe’s rail network. For many, travelling by train is simple and routine. But for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility (PRM), even minor obstacles – unclear signs, narrow doors, steep steps, or slippery surfaces – can make a journey difficult or even unsafe.

The holiday season is a time of celebration, generosity, and togetherness. Homes are filled with festive lights, carefully wrapped gifts, and tables laden with seasonal treats. Behind this familiar Christmas magic, however, lies an invisible but essential framework that helps ensure safety, quality, and sustainability: European Standards. 

Five harmonized European standards for thermal energy meters have been officially cited in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), following the publication of Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1939. This milestone marks a significant step forward in supporting the EU’s internal market and regulatory framework for measuring instruments under the Measurement Instruments Directive (MID – Directive 2014/32/EU).

CEN-CLC/JTC 14 ‘Energy management and energy efficiency in the framework of energy transition’ welcomes the publication of a new standard, EN 16325:2025 ‘Guarantees of origin related to energy,’ developed by Working Group 5.

To organize a safe railway network, it is fundamental to have a robust signalling and speed control system. At the European level, the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is the system deployed for the management and interoperation of signalling for railways by the European Union (EU). The ERTMS ensures interoperability of the national railway systems, reducing the purchasing and maintenance costs of the signalling systems as well as increasing the speed of trains, the capacity of infrastructure and the level of safety in rail transport.

Two standards have recently been published on patient handling equipment used in ambulances, developed by CEN/TC 239 ‘Rescue Systems’. EN 1865-2:2024 improves the performance of power assisted stretchers while EN 1865-6:2024 specifies requirements for powered chairs. These standards address safety and performance gaps, helping to protect both patients and caregivers.

From high alpine peaks to rugged construction sites, cableways are a crucial solution where roads cannot go. But not all cableways are built to carry tourists or skiers. Some are designed to transport goods – or specific individuals – across remote and challenging terrain. For these unique systems, the newly published EN 17639:2025 provides much-needed guidance to ensure safety, performance, and compliance.

Every year, thousands of lives are lost on European roads due to serious car crashes. While emergency services do their best, precious time can be lost when accidents occur in remote locations or when drivers are too injured to call for help. What if your car could call emergency services for you? This is exactly what the Pan-European eCall system does – and a newly updated standard ensures it works even better.

In an increasingly digital world, ensuring consistent and robust cybersecurity across complex, multi-stakeholder systems is more critical than ever. The new European Standard EN 18037:2025 ‘Guidelines on a sectoral cybersecurity assessment’, developed by JTC 13 ‘Cybersecurity and Data Protection’, fills this gap by specifying an approach for the risk-based identification of cybersecurity, certification, and assurance requirements for ICT products, processes, and services within complex, multi-stakeholder sectoral systems.

CENELEC published a new important standard for the railway community. EN 50388-2:2025 ‘Fixed installations and rolling stock for railway applications - Technical criteria for the coordination between electric traction power supply systems and rolling stock to achieve interoperability - Part 2: Stability and harmonics’ establishes the acceptance criteria, according to EN 50388-1:2022, for the compatibility between traction units and power supply for known phenomena and known technologies. The standard was developed by CLC/TC 9X ‘Electrical and electronic applications for railways’.