Proposal to revise Europe’s standardisation system underpins quality standards for the Single Market
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By Press release | Europe’s standardisation system is unique in the world as its architecture lays the ground for balanced participation, with multi-stakeholder expertise built in via the presence of European stakeholder organisations representing the public interest. This ensures standards are developed with both private and public expertise, ensuring high-quality world-class standards deliver both competitiveness and public policy objectives. Today’s proposed Standardisation Regulation revision maintains this balance, which is the bedrock of globally influential, market-ready standards that advance the EU’s green transition, ECOS says.
Standards require diverse expertise to support EU Single Market ambition
In the EU, despite being voluntary in nature, standards sometimes help implement legislation. For manufacturers to comply with product requirements, they must know how – and that is exactly what standards do. Adherence to a standard serves market needs while presuming a product conforms with EU law.
Standards can also make important contributions to the EU’s environmental objectives. They play a key role in the green transition, with European stakeholder organisations providing expertise that facilitates this process. The development of standards in the EU is governed by the Standardisation Regulation, currently being revised with a proposal published today [1].
Ensuring different stakeholders are present in the standardisation system is essential, with environmental, consumer, trade union, and SME representatives bringing expertise and perspectives that are otherwise missing in an industry-driven process. This fosters transparency and ensures a credible representation of the European economic and social landscape for standards to serve both the market and public interest [2].
Today’s proposal for a revised Standardisation Regulation maintains much of the current system, while focusing on necessary improvements. It also recognises the value of this variety of expertise, proposing concrete actions to enhance the participation of under-represented stakeholders, including SMEs and civil society.
A strong standardisation system is one that drives innovation and competitiveness while being publicly legitimate, ECOS says. This can only exist when there is balance between the needs of industry and society, speed and consensus, competitiveness and accountability. Today’s proposal meets that need.
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Amina Aissani, Senior Programme Manager at ECOS – Environmental Coalition on Standards, said:
Requiring a diversity of experts at the table is essential for developing high-quality, market ready standards that drive innovation and serve public interest, which they must do to effectively support EU law. Environmental experts bring balance and knowledge to the European standardisation system that would otherwise be missing – and tomorrow’s standards will be stronger for it.
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Notes to Editors
[1] Proposal for a Regulation on European standardisation: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/proposal-regulation-european-standardisation_en. Proposal to replace Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/1025/oj
[2] ‘Why societal stakeholders and SMEs make EU standards stronger’, ANEC, ECOS, ETUC, and SBS joint paper (March 2026): https://ecostandard.org/publications/eu-standardisation-annex-iii-civil-society/
Resources
- ECOS press briefing (September 2026), ‘Digital Product Passport: Opportunities for a stronger, more sustainable Single Market’: https://ecostandard.org/news_events/digital-product-passport-opportunities-for-a-stronger-more-sustainable-single-market/
- ECOS position (July 2025): ‘European standards: Inclusive, fit for purpose, and environmentally ambitious’: https://ecostandard.org/publications/evidence-european-standardisation-r1025/
Contact:
Alison Grace
Senior Press & Communications Manager
alison.grace@ecostandard.org
+32 493 19 22 59
