15. July 2026

New vision to prepare European standardization for the future

With a new joint vision, the European standardization organizations CEN and CENELEC aim to modernize the standardization system, strengthen Europe's competitiveness, and make standards more digital, flexible, and accessible.

European standardization is undergoing major changes these years. New technologies, rising political expectations, and an increased focus on Europe's competitiveness require the standardization system to evolve faster and more flexibly than before.

At the General Assembly of the European standardization organizations CEN and CENELEC in June 2026, the member countries therefore adopted the so-called Cyprus Commitment, a joint declaration setting the direction for the future of European standardization.

The vision is intended to ensure that European standards continue to support innovation, digitalization, the green transition, and competitiveness to an even greater extent going forward.

"Standards are an important part of Europe's competitiveness and technological development. That is why it is crucial that the European standardization system evolves in step with the needs of businesses and society. With the Cyprus Commitment, we are taking an important step toward a more modern and future-proof system," says Jens Heiede, CEO of Danish Standards.

More digitalization

A key element of the vision is the digitalization of both the use and development of standards.

CEN and CENELEC will, among other things, invest in Online Standards Development (OSD) and new digital formats that make standards easier to develop, use, and integrate into companies' processes and digital solutions.

This development is intended to create the basis for new digital services and business models, including subscription solutions, digital standards services, and access to machine-readable standards data. At the same time, new digital tools are meant to modernize the way standards are developed.

The standardization processes of the future must also become faster and more flexible, while making it easier to integrate knowledge and solutions from, among others, open-source communities, industry consortia, and research and innovation projects.

The goal is both to strengthen the value for companies and organizations that use standards, and to ensure the long-term sustainability of the European standardization organizations.

"The new vision contributes to realizing Danish Standards ambition to make standards more freely accessible and create greater value for users. When standards become more digital and easier to integrate into companies' everyday operations, more organizations can turn shared knowledge into innovation, growth, and concrete results. This strengthens both companies' competitiveness and Europe's ability to meet the challenges of the future," says Jens Heiede.

A Danish voice in Europe's decision-making rooms

For Danish Standards, it is essential to be actively represented in the forums where the standardization system of the future is being shaped.

At the General Assembly, Jens Heiede was re-elected to CENELEC's Board for the 2027–2028 term.

"The coming years will be decisive for European standardization. That is why it is important that Denmark continues to have a strong voice at the table when strategic decisions are made. The re-election allows us to continue actively contributing to the development of a standardization system that supports both Danish and European businesses," says Jens Heiede.

With the Cyprus Commitment, CEN and CENELEC have set the course for the next phase of European standardization. The goal is a more digital, flexible, and future-proof system that can support innovation, the green transition, and European competitiveness. The vision aligns well with Danish Standards ambition that standards should be easier to find, understand, and apply, so that more organizations can translate them into concrete value in practice. That is why Danish Standards is already working on developing new digital solutions, including using AI, to make standards more accessible and faster to develop — ensuring that Danish companies and organizations continue to get the greatest possible value from standards in a world characterized by ever-faster technological and societal development.