The European Commission has proposed changes to EU rules on standard-setting, saying the measures would speed up the development of European standards and widen participation for smaller firms.
Standards set common technical requirements so products and services can work safely together and be sold across the EU, the Commission said in a statement on Tuesday, citing areas including clean technologies, batteries, construction products, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing.
It pointed out that harmonised European standards help businesses show they meet EU law, reduce costs and support quality and consumer trust, but argued the current system can struggle to keep pace with rapid innovation.
Under the proposal, the Commission would set clearer deadlines for standards it requests and clarify the use of “common specifications” — a back-up option when full standards are not ready.
It also proposed allowing wider use of external technical specifications under defined conditions, using interim outputs to support conformity, and letting other standard development organisations contribute where needs are urgent or highly specialised.
The measures together would reduce the average time to develop a standard from six years to four years.
Wider participation and free access to EU-law standards
The proposal would strengthen obligations on European and national standards bodies to ensure participation for small and medium-sized enterprises, civil society, academia and public authorities, alongside new transparency and accountability requirements, the Commission said.
It would also codify rules following European Court of Justice rulings to ensure free access to standards developed under EU law through dedicated repositories, making them easier to obtain for businesses, public authorities and the public.
Separately, the Commission said it wants stronger EU coordination in international standardisation and proposed setting up an Expert Centre on European Standardisation to provide “strategic steering” and cross-policy coordination.
The proposal will now be examined by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union before it can be adopted and enter into force.
