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The new draft EU Standardisation Regulation

What COM(2026) 780 changes, when, and how your organisation can make its voice heard.

By Elena Santiago Cid, former Director General of CENELEC (2003 to 2025) and of CEN and CENELEC (2010 to 2025)

What changes

Speed
Deadlines at every step, interim presumption of conformity, common specifications as a safety net and public performance indicators.
Free access
Harmonised standards cited in EU law become free to access. They are around 13% of the European portfolio.
New players
CEN, CENELEC and ETSI stay at the core, but designated bodies can step in when work is late.
Inclusiveness
More seats for SMEs, consumers, environmental and social organisations, researchers and persons with disabilities.
Savings
The Commission estimates €295 million a year in compliance savings, mostly for SMEs.

The blind spot

The reform focuses on the standards that support EU legislation. The other 87%, the standards industry and SMEs use every day for trade and exports, get far less attention. Small business organisations have raised the same concern. Read the full analysis.

Timeline

  1. 6 October 2026

    Commission tables COM(2026) 780, repealing Regulation 1025/2012.

  2. 12 October 2026

    Public feedback opens on the Commission's Have Your Say portal.

  3. Winter 2026–27

    Feedback period closes. Check the exact date on the Have Your Say page.

  4. 27–28 January 2027

    European Economic and Social Committee plenary on its opinion (INT/1138).

  5. 2027 onwards

    Negotiation in the European Parliament and the Council.

How to send feedback

  1. Go to the European Commission's Have Your Say portal and search for "standardisation regulation".
  2. Sign in with an EU Login account.
  3. Write a short, concrete position: what works for you, what does not, and the change you want.
  4. Attach a position paper if you have one, and submit before the deadline shown on the page.
Open Have Your Say ↗

Infographics: standards and public procurement

This series explains what COM(2026) 780 and the Public Procurement Act COM(2026) 590 change for companies selling with European standards. Three illustrative case studies show what it means in practice.

One standard, one version, 34 countries. For how much longer?
FreeOne standard, one version, 34 countries. For how much longer? · Download PNG / PDF
Preview: Faster for the 13%. What about the other 87%?LicensedFaster for the 13%. What about the other 87%?Preview: Still in the tender. But no longer in charge.LicensedStill in the tender. But no longer in charge.Preview: Case study: One product, one test, 34 countries. Or three versions of one product?LicensedCase study: One product, one test, 34 countries. Or three versions of one product?Preview: Case study: The same standard for everyone. Or only for those who read English?LicensedCase study: The same standard for everyone. Or only for those who read English?Preview: Case study: Its experts wrote the standards. Its tenders may no longer use them.LicensedCase study: Its experts wrote the standards. Its tenders may no longer use them.

Licences: Risk assessment pack and Full series · Case-studies pack

© 2026 SANELIA SRL. All rights reserved. The free infographic and the previews may be shared unaltered with attribution to SANELIA SRL (sanelia.eu). The other infographics are licensed content; use is limited to the terms of the licence purchased.

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Also read: Competitiveness with European soul (free).