Mandates

Standardisation mandates are the mechanism by which the Commission requests the European Standards Organisations (ESOs – CEN-CENELEC – ETSI) to develop and adopt European standards in support of European policies and legislation.

Draft mandates are drawn up by the Commission services through a process of consultation with a wide group of stakeholders. Before being formally addressed to the ESOs, they are submitted for opinion to the Standing Committee of the 98/34/EC Directive. Members of this Standing Committee are EU member States’ representatives.

The ESOs, which are independent organisations, have the right to refuse a mandate if they do not think that standards can be produced in the area being covered. In practice this refusal happens rarely due to the informal consultation mentioned above. Please note that European standards, even developed under a mandate and for European legislation, remain voluntary in their use.

Three types of mandates could be considered: study mandates to check the feasibility of standardisation, mandates requesting the elaboration of a standardisation programme and mandates for the development and adoption of European standards.

Harmonized standards

"Harmonised standards" are European standards, adopted by CEN, CENELEC or ETSI, following a mandate issued by the European Commission after consultation of Member States. They are developed through an open and transparent process, built on consensus between all interested parties.

Compliance with harmonised standards, of which the reference numbers have been published in the Official Journal and which have been transposed into national standards, provides presumption of conformity to the corresponding essential requirements of the EC directives. Compliance with harmonised standards remains voluntary, and manufacturers are free to choose any other technical solution that provides compliance with the essential requirements. In a number of cases compliance with harmonised standards also increases the options for conformity assessment procedures.

In the case of New Approach Directives, compliance with harmonised standards means CE marking conformity. Althought CE marking compliance can be demonstrated by other means than compliance with harmonised standards, it remains the easiest way. When a product falls under a New Approach Directive, it requires CE marking to be placed on the EU market.

An overview of the references of harmonised standards can be found in the " List of references of harmonised standards“. Although it is updated regularly, it may not be complete and only publication in the Official Journal produces legal affect.

European standards

European Standards (EN) are documents that have been ratified by one of the 3 European Standards Organizations, CEN, CENELEC or ETSI.

They are designed and created by the ESOs together with all interested parties through a transparent, consensual process.

European Standards are a key component of the Single European Market.

The Internal Regulations, Part 2, states that the European Standard “carries with it the obligation, to be implemented at national level, by being given the status of a national standard and by withdrawal of any conflicting national standards”.

This means that ENs must be transposed into a national standard in all UE and EFTA countries. Member states must also withdraw any conflicting national standard: the EN prevails over any national standard.

According to their fields of competence, CEN, CENELEC and ETSI deliver European Standards.

Click on the links below to find:

- a CEN standard

- a CENELEC standard

- an ETSI standard