- What are the sectors covered by CEN standards?
- What are CEN products?
Are European Standards free of charge?
- Where can I purchase European Standards and draft standards?
- Is there a CEN Catalogue of standards? How do I search the collection of CEN standards?
- Is there copyright on European Standards?
- What is a Harmonized Standard?
- Where do I find EC Directives and regulations?
- What is CE Marking?
- Is certification part of CEN activities?
- What is a Notified Body?
- What is BOSS?
- Who can answer my technical question?
- Want to know more on CEN IPR declarations?
1. What are the sectors covered by CEN standards?
Accessibility, Air and Space, Bio-based products, Chemical, Construction, Consumer products, Energy and utilities, Environment, Food, Health and Safety, Healthcare, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), ICT, Innovation, Machinery safety, Materials, Measurement, Nanotechnologies, Pressure equipment, Security and defence, Services, Transport and packaging, etc
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2. What are the CEN Products?
The full list of CEN products is available from the following page.
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3. Are European Standards free of charge?
No, CEN standards are not free of charge.
They are available from CEN's National Members and Affiliates for a reasonable fee.
Indeed, European Standards are the result of extensive efforts performed by the market players, who provide the expertise and fund the infrastructure of standardization in Europe. They represent an exceptional value for the users, who support this work and infrastructure through their purchase.
Certain CEN Workshop Agreements (especially in the ICT domain) are available free of charge under special arrangements, for example, where industry has offset the loss of sales.
All standardization documents are protected by copyright and associated exploitation rights.
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4. Where can I purchase European Standards and draft standards?
CEN does not sell or distribute Standards or any other deliverable (at the exception of some CWAs in the ICT domain).
All European Standards (ENs) and drafts (prENs), as well as any other approved document (Technical Specifications (TSs), Technical Reports (TRs) and CEN Workshop Agreements (CWAs), are available for purchase from:
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5. Is there a CEN Catalogue of standards? How do I search the collection of CEN standards?
The entire collection of both published standards and standards under development (Work Programme) is available online via the 'Search standards' function.
You can search by English title, standard reference, document type, ICS, progress status and committee.
NB: Information on withdrawn standards is not available online. To obtain information on withdrawn CEN standards, please contact the CEN infodesk at info@cencenelec.eu
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6. Is there copyright on European Standards?
The distribution of European Standards is the responsibility of the CEN National Members. Consequently, CEN has entrusted the National Standardization Bodies with the protection of their copyright interests, each in their respective territories.
Therefore, any reproduction, distribution, resale or communication of standards in any medium, is forbidden without the formal written authorization from the NSB where the standard was purchased.
More information on CEN IPR policy.
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7. What is a Harmonized Standard?
The European Commission refers to European Standards that are produced by CEN, CENELEC, or ETSI under a mandate given by the European Commission.' . In general, these standards support the essential requirements of a New Approach Directive.
List of Harmonized Standards
Please click on 'Subject (short title of directive)' to view the list of titles and references of harmonized standards under the directive.
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8. Where do I get directives and regulations?
The full text of European Directives, Regulations and other EU legislation can be obtained from EUR-LEX, where you can find a 'Directory of Community Legislation in Force' and other acts of the European Community institutions.
The texts are also available on paper from sales agents of the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities (EUR-OP) throughout the world.
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9. What is CE Marking?
The 'CE marking' (sometimes improperly known as 'CE Mark') stands for 'Conformité Européenne' in French and represents the declaration that the product conforms to all applicable European legislation.
CE Marking is not a CEN activity.
A useful reference is the European Commission's 'Guide to the implementation of Directives based on the New Approach and Global Approach', more specifically Chapter 7 dedicated to CE Marking.
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10. Is certification part of CEN activities?
No, CEN is not a certification body or authority.
For any further support on question regarding certification, please contact your National Standards Body.
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11. What is a Notified Body?
A Notified body is a certification body that is designated by the notifying authority of a Member State to carry out the tasks pertaining to the conformity assessment procedures referred to in the applicable New Approach directives when a third party is required.
The Nando (New Approach Notified and Designated Organisations) Information System allows you to search for Notified Bodies by Directive or by country.
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12. What is BOSS?
The CEN Business Operations Support System (BOSS) is the unique source of reference for all CEN System operations:
- Corporate information: on the CEN mission, principles, business environment, membership, etc...;
- Production Processes: Standards making processes (core process);
- Support Processes: services supporting the operations of the CEN System, its actors and customers;
- Organisation: Organisational overview of the CEN System and description of its bodies and constituents;
- Supporting Material: Reference documents (e.g. Status, Internal Regulations, CA and BT resolutions),
- Guidance documents, forms, resolution formats & templates , useful hyperlinks and PowerPoint presentations;
- Management Processes: Processes used by management committees to direct and control CEN.
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13. Who can answer my technical question?
Technical questions are the competence of the CEN Technical Committees.
NB: Technical Committees do not deal directly with questions from private experts.
Technical questions shall first be referred to the appropriate CEN National Bodies or Affiliates.
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14 . Want to know more on CEN IPR Declarations?
CEN aligned its policy concerning ‘Standards and Patents’ to the one of ISO/IEC.
Link to the list of Patent Declarations received by CEN
CEN-CENELEC Guide 8 on the Guidelines for Implementation of the Common IPR Policy (Patents and other statutory intellectual property rights based on inventions), defines the common CEN and CENELEC policy in relation to IPR issues and gives a systematic procedure for the implementation of the policy developed at international level by ISO and IEC (see ISO/IEC Directives Part 1, Reference to patented items, and Part 2, Annex F).
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