Developing timely standards, but not at the expense of quality
By Standards underpin public policies – and can be the make or break of their environmentally ambitious implementation. Delays in standardisation can considerably slow down the implementation phase, create uncertainty for businesses, and hinder innovation - but speeding up the development of standards should not come at the expense of quality.
Policy makers and market actors increasingly rely on standards to support legislation, facilitate innovation, and provide technical solutions for emerging technologies. As the transition to a green and digital Europe accelerates, there is a growing pressure to deliver standards more quickly.
International organisations, such as ISO and IEC, as well as the European Standardisation Organisations CEN and CENELEC, are exploring new approaches to accelerate the development of standards. This includes working more closely with external organisations and industry initiatives that could provide ready-made standards as a starting point for more formal standardisation discussions.
A reflection on how the standardisation system can deliver standards faster is, unquestionably, a step in the right direction, but no proposed change should compromise the openness and inclusiveness of these technical processes.
Clarity and inclusiveness are non-negotiable in standardisation work
The standardisation system works at its best when the diversity of expertise and interests is directly reflected in the standards from day one. Industry experts, public authorities and civil society, should all contribute to building consensus, and ensure that standards serve both market needs and the public good. This collaborative process is what makes standards credible.
It is essential that inclusiveness remains a fundamental requirement of standardisation: all stakeholders must be guaranteed effective participation from the outset. At the same time, alternative routes to traditional standards-making, such as allowing external organisations to propose draft standards, should be limited to specific sectors or topics where there is a clear and justified need. A broader application could lead experts away from traditional standardisation committees, weakening inclusiveness, and risking a proliferation of parallel standardisation initiatives. This, in turn, would not only lead to market fragmentation, but also make engagement impossible for under-resourced stakeholders such as civil society or small businesses.
If the traditional standardisation systems, be it regionally in Europe or at international level, were to rely on ready-made standards proposed by external partners, they would need to develop safeguard mechanisms, requiring that these partners:
- Demonstrate inclusiveness and clear and transparent governance, including who has been involved in the drafting, the interests represented by each contributing party, how a stakeholder consultation is organised, and how access and effective participation has been facilitated for civil society.
- Provide access to information: clear notification processes within the external standards-drafting organisation, which would ensure that all interested parties are informed when a specific development or revision work begins.
- Establish clear processes and procedures on how feedback is integrated into final drafts.
Standards that serve our society – and the environment
As standardisation evolves to deliver timely standards, inclusiveness remains a non-negotiable principle to ensure high-quality standards that can serve society’s long-term needs. Technical specifications drafted by a limited group of voices risk serving limited purposes and locking us into ineffective (and often unambitious) tools.
At European level, the EU framework for standardisation deliverables supports public policy and legislation, and Europe has been leading the way in securing the guaranteed participation of small businesses, environmental organisations, consumers, and trade unions in the development of standards. Only through transparent, inclusive, and accountable processes can all key perspectives be meaningfully integrated.
A climate neutral, resilient, and circular economy will not happen without standards. But environmental expertise must be part of the process.
Find out more about the EU Product Act
- ECOS press briefing on the EU Product Act (September 2026)
- ECOS paper: Building an EU Product Act fit for circular economy and digital transition (March 2026)
- ECOS position on the EU New Legislative Framework (August 2025)
- ECOS position on the EU Market Surveillance Regulation (February 2026)
- ECOS position on the EU Standardisation Regulation (July 2025)
