On 4 February 2026, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) and the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC ) signed an agreement to increase their alignment on key standardization topics. JISC will now become a CENELEC Companion Standardization Body (CSB).
The agreement was signed during a hybrid signing ceremony by the Acting Director General of CEN and CENELEC, Ms Cinzia Missiroli, and the JISC Secretary-General, Mr Wataru Imamura, in the presence of representatives from the European Commission and the EU Delegation Tokyo. The agreement highlights the strategic importance of the partnership, which goes beyond purely technical cooperation and reflects the broader alignment between Europe and Japan on standardization and industrial policy.
The signing ceremony concluded with final remarks by Mr Riccardo Lama, President of CENELEC, who highlighted the longstanding and trusted relationship between the European Union and Japan. Additionally, JISC President Mr Nobuhiro Endo underlined the strategic importance of the partnership and its contribution to global standardization. Finally, the Ambassador of the European Union to Japan, Mr Jean-Eric Paquet, recalled the existing close cooperation between JISC and CENELEC in areas such as automation and digital policy and welcomed the CSB status as an opportunity to further deepen this collaboration.
JISC expressed willingness to strengthen the cooperation with CENELEC, especially through the observership in technical committees and the transfer of European knowledge and experience. On top of that, this formal alliance will promote technical exchanges and the sharing of expertise with European counterparts.
The CSB status is a further step of the longstanding relationship between JISC and CEN and CENELEC, which was formalized the first time already in 2005.
In addition, Japan and the EU have continued their collaboration as like-minded partners on standardization under multiple initiatives, including the recent EU–Japan Digital Partnership.
“This renewed cooperation builds on decades of strong cooperation between JISC and CENELEC. We look forward to further strengthening our ties with this valued partner in the standardization field that has evolved beyond the mere unification of technical specifications to become a vital tool for the social implementation of emerging technologies and the creation of new markets.”
— Mr Wataru Imamura, Secretary General, JISC
“This agreement with JISC marks an important step in deepening cooperation between Europe and Japan on standardization. It reflects our shared commitment to a robust international standards system and our ambition to work more closely on global challenges, particularly in the digital and industrial domains. By deepening technical cooperation — including through closer engagement in technical committees, the exchange of expertise and experience, and enhanced collaboration at the international level, notably within IEC — this partnership will support interoperability while reinforcing the values and principles we share.”
— Ms Cinzia Missiroli, Acting Director General, CEN and CENELEC
Looking ahead, the establishment of CSB status between CENELEC and JISC provides a solid framework for deeper and more structured cooperation. By strengthening engagement at technical and international levels, including within global standardization bodies, this partnership will contribute to the development of high-quality international standards, support innovation and competitiveness, and further reinforce Europe–Japan cooperation in response to shared digital, industrial, and sustainability challenges.
