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Smart Metering

The EU Directives concerning common rules for the internal market for electricty and gas (2009/72/EC and 2009/73/EC) and the EU Directive on energy efficiency (2012/27/EU) require Member States to ensure the implementation of 'intelligent metering systems' that shall assist the active participation of consumers in the energy market. Regarding electricity, where there was a positive assessment of the long-term costs and benefits, then at least 80% of the households should be equipped with smart metering systems by 2020. In order to address these challenges, the European Commission and EFTA mandated CEN, CENELEC and ETSI (Mandate M/441) in 2009 to development an open architecture for utility meters involving communication protocols enabling interoperability (smart metering).

In response to Mandate M/441, the European Standardization Organizations (ESOs), CEN, CENELEC and ETSI decided to combine their expertise and resources by establishing the Smart Meters Coordination Group (SM-CG). This group is a joint advisory body that provides a focal point concerning smart metering standardization issues.

The first phase of the mandate requests the ESOs to produce a European standard for communications. In this context, the SM-CG produced a Technical Report, CEN-CLC-ETSI TR 50572:2011 'Functional reference architecture for communications in smart metering systems' (pdf format), which identifies the functional entities and interfaces that the communications standards should address. It is intended to support the development of software and hardware architecture and related standards.

The second phase of Mandate M/441 focused on the development of European Standards containing harmonized solutions for additional functionalities within interoperable frameworks. The SM-CG completed the second phase of M/441 by producing a SM-CG report (pdf format) which summarizes the work undertaken during the period 2009-2012.

In 2013, 2014 and 2016 the SM-CG finalized the following reports:

Smart Meters Co-ordination Group - Privacy and Security approach – part I (pdf format)
The Report describes an approach to define privacy and security requirements for Smart Metering and the status of work carried out by CEN, CENELEC and ETSI on incorporation of security mechanisms to the standards
Smart Meters Co-ordination Group - Privacy and Security approach – part II (pdf format)
The document describes a repository of requirements applicable in different Member States and compares approaches on security certification schemes for Smart Metering.
Smart Meters Co-ordination Group - Privacy and Security approach – part III (pdf format)
The third report comprises a description of a repository of security threats, recommendations regarding security certification and an update of the status of work carried out by CEN, CENELEC and ETSI.
Smart Meters Co-ordination Group - Privacy and Security approach – part IV (pdf format)
The Report includes a summary of the minimum security requirements defined by the SM-CG Task Force Privacy & Security together with ESMIG, an update on the work of Expert Group 2 of the Smart Grid Task Force and an update of the status of work carried out by CEN, CENELEC and ETSI related to security. The Smart Meters Co-ordination Group – Minimum Security Requirements for smart metering (pdf format) is also available. A repository (see the spreadsheet associated with the report, excel format) was created by the SM-CG in 2015 and now links the original requirements from member states with the minimum requirements.
The document can be used by Member States that still have to (re)define security requirements for Smart Metering and will be used by the SM-CG to start working on a security certification approach in 2016.

Having completed the work carried out in the framework of Mandate M/441, Smart Meters - Coordination Group still gives input to the development and maintenance of new and existing standards for advanced metering infrastructures in support of the European roll-out of Smart Meters.

Download the 2017 Coordination Group Work Programme (pdf format)

Further information can be found on the CEN-CENELEC website and also on the CENELEC website.