CEN and CENELEC welcome the European Commission’s initiative to revise Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement with the aim of increasing simplicity, flexibility, and transparency.
European Standards play a central role in enabling trade, interoperability, and fair competition within the Single Market. For this reason, CEN and CENELEC consider it essential that the revision of the Public Procurement Directive be closely coordinated with the ongoing revision of the Standardization Regulation (EU Regulation 1025/2012). A coherent and aligned approach between these two legislative frameworks is necessary to ensure legal certainty, avoid inconsistencies, and maximize the benefits for economic operators and public authorities alike.
Article 13 of EU Regulation 1025/2012 allows, under specific conditions, for the use in public procurement of ICT technical specifications developed by organizations outside the ESOs. While CEN and CENELEC acknowledge the need for a certain degree of flexibility in the fast-evolving ICT sector, it is important that the application of this provision does not undermine the established strengths of the recognized ESOs but rather remains complementary to their work. In particular, such flexibility should not lead to the systematic bypassing of European Standards or to the emergence of divergent technical requirements across Member States.
In this context, CEN and CENELEC are currently examining ways to strengthen cooperation with fora and consortia that develop their own technical specifications to make the standardization processes more agile and in line with emerging technologies.
The objective is for CEN and CENELEC to act as a “European standardization hub”. This role would allow for the integration of high-quality standards content developed in line with European interests, values, and regulatory principles, while fully preserving the integrity and coherence of the ESS. The consensus-based and transparent model that underpins CEN and CENELEC remains fundamental to the credibility, legitimacy, and international recognition of European standardization.
The revised Public Procurement Directive should continue to prioritize the use of standardization deliverables developed by the recognized European Standardization Organizations (ESOs), their national members, and their international counterparts, as defined in Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 on European standardization.
You can find the full CEN and CENELEC reply to the Public Procurement Directive revision.
