NEWS
Medical device labels contain a remarkable amount of information in a very limited space. To help ensure that critical information can be understood regardless of language or geography, manufacturers rely on internationally recognized graphical symbols to replace text that requires translation. One of the most widely used standards supporting this practice is EN ISO 15223-1 ‘Medical devices — Symbols to be used with information to be supplied by the manufacturer — Part 1: General requirements’.
A significant milestone has been reached in European AI standardization. The first standard in support of the implementation of the AI Act, EN 18286: 2026 ‘Artificial intelligence – Quality management system for EU AI Act regulatory purposes’, has been published. This standard is a fundamental step towards regulatory compliance.
The European Union has ambitious environmental objectives defined in its legislations. As the products brought on the European Single Market have a significant environmental impact, the European Union decided on a mandatory Digital Product Passport (DPP) to store the circularity data of products for various product groups. Since products brought on the European Single Market have a significant environmental impact, it is necessary to know the parameters of each product and to exchange circularity and sustainability information with all stakeholders.
In March 2026, the CENELEC Technical Committee CLC/TC 111X ‘Environment’ published a new standard on the quantification and communication of carbon footprint and GHG emissions reduction from electric and electronic products. At a time when climate transparency is becoming a key expectation across global markets, this standard offers a harmonized approach to assessing and communicating environmental performance.
Plastic packaging is everywhere. From food trays and detergent bottles to flexible pouches and protective foams, it plays a central role in modern life and supply chains. Yet despite years of progress in waste management and recycling technologies, one major challenge remains: much of plastic packaging is still not designed to be effectively recycled.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) and the Web Accessibility Directive (WAD) are game changers. However, they also pose challenges for public entities procuring ICT products and services, as well as for bidders. In this context, the European Commission and EFTA funded the revision of two existing documents: CEN-CLC-ETSI TR 101551:2014 ‘Guidelines on the use of accessibility award criteria suitable for public procurement of ICT products and services in Europe’ and CEN-CLC-ETSI/TR 101 552:2014 ‘Guidance for the application of conformity assessment to accessibility requirements for public procurement of ICT products and services in Europe’.
Two key standards supporting safe steam sterilization and pressure equipment have been cited in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). EN 13060:2025 on small steam sterilizers and EN 14222:2021+A1:2025 on stainless steel steam boilers now provide harmonized tools to demonstrate conformity with the Medical Device Regulation for a wide range of sterilization equipment.
Two new CEN Technical Specifications now help to detect nano-objects in inorganic additives in food matrices and to assess aggregation and agglomeration in powders, aerosols, and suspensions. The documents have been developed under European Commission Mandate M/461.
Whether a ring is plain gold or diamond‑set, its value depends on more than design alone: it must fit. EN ISO 8653:2026 provides an international and European reference for ring sizing, helping jewellers and consumers achieve accuracy, comfort, and confidence.
CEN-CLC/JTC 25 ‘Data management, Dataspaces, Cloud and Edge’ recently published their first deliverable: EN 18235-1:2026 ‘Trusted data transactions – Part 1: Terminology, concepts and mechanisms’. This first standard lays the foundation for the future work of the JTC by establishing the terminology.