NEWS
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.
Edu4Standards.eu is launching a European Students Standardization Association. The goal is to support students interested in standardization on their learning curve by establishing a playground for the next generation of standardization experts to explore and experience standardization.
The three European Standardization Organizations – CEN, CENELEC and ETSI – have created a consortium to respond to a call under the Single Market Programme Standardization aimed at Reinforcing the European Standardization System through Education and addressing the need for skilled experts in standardization.
As a partner of the Horizon Europe funded project Edu4Standards.eu, CEN and CENELEC are establishing the first ever student association dedicated to standardization.
A new CEN Workshop is being planned which will complement the activities of the EU project 'Edu4Standards'. This project brings together a consortium of higher education institutions, standardization bodies and SMEs with the goal of innovating how standardization is taught in Europe.
Standards are a proven instrument to operationalize EU legislation while reducing regulatory burdens and supporting SMEs. By building on the New Legislative Framework (NLF), the CEA can rely on harmonized standards to provide presumption of conformity with legal requirements, while leaving room for innovation. The consultation has identified barriers to a more integrated circular economy, including divergent classifications of waste and secondary raw materials, weak competitiveness of recyclates, insufficient transparency on recyclability and material composition, and resource loss due to inefficient collection, sorting and data gaps. Today, divergent national practices undermine the single market. Standards can directly address these challenges by establishing common definitions, quality criteria and testing methods across Europe.
CEN and CENELEC responded to the Call for Evidence on the Revision of Regulation 1025/2012, outlining a clear vision to strengthen the European Standardization System (ESS) and ensure its continued relevance and resilience.
On 7 July, CEN and CENELEC officially accepted the European Commission’s Standardization Request on European Trusted Data Framework, under Mandate M/614. This milestone supports the implementation of the EU Data Act which will become applicable on 12 September 2025.