NEWS
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.
We are pleased to inform you about the upcoming CEN and CENELEC activities in 2026.
Have you ever switched on a coffee machine, toaster, hot plate, dishwasher, microwave oven, sewing machine, vacuum cleaner, humidifier, skin- or haircare appliance, or simply turned on the heating in your home? Have you used outdoor appliances such as barbecues, portable heaters, grills or similar portable cooking appliances? If the answer is yes to any of these—and we suspect it is—then you have been using appliances that comply with standards developed by CLC/TC 61 ‘Safety of household and similar electrical appliances’ and its international counterpart IEC/TC 61.
CEN and CENELEC welcome the proposal from the European Commission to revise the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) and In-Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVDR), supporting efforts to ensure a regulatory framework that is robust, transparent and sustainable, while continuing to safeguard public health and foster innovation.
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.
CENELEC has published the 2nd edition of Guide 32 – ‘Guidelines for Safety-Related Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction for Low Voltage Equipment’, providing updated guidance to hazard identification, risk assessment, and risk reduction. The guide helps technical committees address the safety of low voltage equipment and determine the documentation needed to support the risk assessment. It reinforces the principle that safety should be addressed through an iterative risk assessment process supported by technical data, application experience, and relevant standards.
How can Europe enable consumer-side flexibility at scale? This question was at the heart of a workshop organized by the Pentalateral Energy Forum (PENTA), the High-Level Forum on Standardization, and CEN and CENELEC at the Benelux House in Brussels
Digital product information that is reliable and interoperable is becoming increasingly important for global supply and value chains. The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is emerging as a key enabler of this development, supporting the digital exchange of product-related information across markets and sectors and opening the door to digital services beyond. To ensure that DPPs can function seamlessly on a global scale, international standards are essential.
As climate change continues to affect the safety, reliability and performance of infrastructure, products, and services across Europe, standardization has an increasingly important role to play in building climate resilience. Rising temperatures, flooding, droughts, wildfires, storms and other climate-related hazards challenge many of the assumptions on which standards are based.