NEWS
On 15 October, Andreea Gulacsi, Director of Policy and External Affairs at CEN and CENELEC, participated in a public hearing of the European Parliament's Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) on the European Product Act. The hearing brought together representatives of the European Commission, national authorities, consumer organizations, industry and standardization bodies to discuss the New Standardization Regulation as well as the upcoming European Product Act that will set the future of EU product legislation.
Today, the European Commission published its proposal for the New Standardization Regulation, which would repeal Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012. CEN and CENELEC support the objective of making European standardization faster and more effective. However, several elements of the proposal risk weakening the very system it seeks to improve. Reform should strengthen, not fragment, the successful system Europe already has.
CEN is happy to announce that it has published a new edition of EN ISO 9001 ‘Quality Management Systems – Requirements’ in parallel with ISO. As the European adoption of the world’s most widely used quality management standard, EN ISO 9001:2026 supports organizations in applying a common, internationally recognized framework for quality management across Europe.
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.
Methane (CH4) is the second most important Greenhouse Gas (GHG) contributor to climate change. 60% of the global methane emissions result from human activity, 1/3 of which is generated in the energy sector. To address the climate change challenge, the European Union has adopted Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector, which sets ambitious requirements applicable to the oil and fossil gas infrastructures in Europe. Considering that the EU imports most of its oil and fossil gas, Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 also addresses methane emissions occurring outside the EU, with respect to crude oil and natural gas (the main component of which is methane) placed on the EU market.
At their General Assemblies in Cyprus, the 43 Members of CEN and CENELEC signed the CEN and CENELEC Cyprus Commitment, reaffirming their shared ambition to guide the future evolution of the European Standardization System.
Every year, the World Bank publishes a World Development Report (WDR) on a specific topic. The 2025 WDR focuses on standards, offering a comprehensive assessment of today’s global landscape and ways they can be used to accelerate economic development.
CEN and CENELEC warmly welcome the European Commission’s publication of the Annual Union Work Programme 2026 for European Standardization (AUWP 2026), which sets out five key priorities and 43 actions in support of EU policies for competitiveness. This document identifies the strategic direction for European standardization and aligns with the objectives of the Competitiveness Compass.
A new version of EN ISO 14001:2026 ‘Environmental management systems - Requirements with guidance for use’ is now available. EN ISO 14001 is the internationally recognized standard for environmental management systems (EMS). It was drafted by ISO/TC 207/SC 1 ‘Environmental management systems’, in close cooperation with CEN.
After nearly thirty years of improving postal services in Europe, CEN/TC 331 ‘Postal services’ is joining CEN/TC 320 ‘Transport - Logistics and services’, which is thus acquiring a reviewed scope and title as ‘Transport, Logistics and Postal Services’. This transition marks a new chapter for standardization in transport, logistics, and postal services.