Standards are voluntary agreements establishing technical criteria for products, services or processes in regard to safety, reliability, efficiency or interoperability.

Standards applicable in the EU come from several sources: international organisations (ISO, IEC, ITU), the European legislator (in EU Directives), European standards organisations (CEN, CENELEC, ETSI) and national standards bodies.

Standards at EU level are set according to the 'old approach' (whereby European legislation includes detailed technical regulations), the 'new approach' (possible since 1985, whereby the standard-making part of a directive is mandated by the Commission to a European standards body) or at the request of a member of a European standards body. Standards mandated by the EU are published in the Official Journal, from an appendix to the relevant directive and have legal effect.

On 25 February 2004, the Commission adopted the Communication "Integration of Environmental Aspects into European Standardisation". It aims to encourage the three EU standardisation bodies, national standardisation bodies, public authorities, NGOs and business/industry groups, who are all involved in writing standards, to consider the environmental aspects of the subjects they cover in order to improve their environmental performance. The Communication will be presented to the Council, the Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee.

 
Aims:

• Environmental quality of standards agreed in the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN)

After the Workprogramme 2004 was adopted, the EEB decided to include the following aims in its work:

• Make it a legal requirement to integrate environmental aspects into all technical standards that have an effect on the environment, whether they are mandated by the Commission or self determined by standard bodies

• EEB members to get involved in standardisation at national level

• ECOs funding to be extended beyond 2005

Activities:

• Active involvement in the work of the new organisation European Environmental Citizens Organisation for Standardisation

After the Workprogramme 2004 was adopted, the EEB decided to include the following activities in EEB work:

• The EEB will raise awareness that the legal framework for the integration of environmental concerns into standardisation is still missing

• Encouraging EEB Members to become also ECOs Members