CENELEC
CENELEC facts and figures
CENELEC in a nutshell
CENELEC is the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization. Officially recognised by the European Commission as the competent European Standards Organisation in this field, CENELEC creates both voluntary and harmonised Standards (supporting the guidelines of a New Approach Directive). By doing this, CENELEC is shaping the European Internal Market with high quality Electrotechnical Standards that:
· allow direct access to at least 33 European countries
· guarantee the safety and health of consumers
· encourage technological development
CENELEC Standards are technologically neutral and are developed thanks to the contributions of experts coming from all over Europe. They guarantee market accessibility and economic exchange because with CENELEC Standards there is no more need to test or add/remove any specifications for your product depending on the country of sale. All possible requirements are already included in the text. The whole process is based on consensus among members which at the same time becomes the driving force and strength of the final text.
33 Members:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
13 Affiliates:
Albania (01/2002), Belarus (01/2010), Bosnia-Herzegovina (09/1999), Egypt (12/2012), Georgia (06/2010), Israël (01/2008), Jordan (07/2012), Libya (01/2010), Montenegro (06/2009), Morocco (01/2012) Serbia (10/2005), Tunisia (11/2006), and the Ukraine (11/2011).
49 Cooperating Partners that represent the interest of major European industries. They advise on and state standardization priorities, propose drafts as a contribution to the European standardization process and may deliver expert advice on legislative consequences of new standards.
CENELEC standards
CENELEC ended up the year 2011 with a total figure of 6004 active Standards. During the year 2011, 412 standards were published.
| CENELEC Active Standards | 2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
| Published standards */year | 425 |
412 |
446 |
| Total active Standards * | 5 834 |
6 004 |
6 236 |
| Net increase at year end | 168 |
170 |
232 |
* These figures include amendments
Total number of active CENELEC Deliverables at the year end:
| Active CENELEC portfolio | New deliverables in 2012 |
Total deliverables at the end of 2012 |
Standards (EN & HD) |
446 |
6 236 |
ENV (pre-standards)* |
- |
3 |
Reports* |
- |
4 |
Technical reports |
4 |
99 |
Technical Specifications |
4 |
69 |
CECC Specifications |
- |
296 |
Guides |
6 |
52 |
CWA |
- |
4 |
Total Deliverables |
460 |
6 763 |
* ENVs/Reports/ESs are not published any more
Note: The total number of overall standards figures at the end of 2012 does not result from summing up the overall standards figures of 2011 (6 004) to the total output of standards of 2012 (446). This is due to the fact that CENELEC only counts as standards those that are currently active and stops counting those that have been withdrawn after the date of withdrawal or DOW.
CENELEC Standards ratified, awaiting publication: 84
The overall figures only take into account active Standards (Standards that are currently valid) and stops counting those that have been withdrawn.
Links with the IEC
In a world like today’s where markets become global and products are being sold worldwide, CENELEC makes sure that the majority of its Standards are identical to the Standards developed by the IEC, the International Electrotechnical Commission. This is achieved thanks to the intense cooperation between both organisations, laid down in the Dresden Agreement, and through the participation of CENELEC members directly in IEC work.
The added value for the manufacturer in applying CENELEC Standards emanating from the IEC is that, besides granting access to all 33 CENELEC countries, these same Standards are also recognised worldwide thanks to the work of the IEC.
Sometimes CENELEC adopts IEC Standards that are slightly modified with some specifications added for the European marketplace. Normally, these common modifications include tougher guarantees of health and safety to be applied for the European market.
In overall terms, 79% of CENELEC Standards are identical to or based upon IEC’s. Next charts clearly show these trends.
Level of equivalence between IEC and CENELEC deliverables published in 2012
| Identical to the IEC | 332 |
73% |
Based on the IEC |
33 |
7% |
Purely European |
89 |
20% |
Total |
454 |
100% |
Level of equivalence between IEC and CENELEC for the overall delvierables at the end of 2012
| Identical to the IEC | 4 579 |
68 % |
Based on the IEC |
431 |
7% |
Purely European |
1 701 |
25 % |
Total |
6 711 |
100% |
Figures take into account all documents (excluding Corrigenda and Guides) in the CENELEC portfolio.
Links with the European Commission and EFTA
To provide a means for demonstrating conformity with European Directives, CENELEC and the European Commission have reached agreements for CENELEC to develop appropriate Standards - Harmonised Standards -over a wide range of electrotechnical areas.
Total CENELEC Harmonised Standards at the end of 2012
| Total CENELEC Standards | 6 771 |
100 % |
Of which harmonized |
1 716* |
26 % |
* These figures include amendments
Harmonised Standards are those that fulfill the requirements set by New Approach Directives. These Standards are unique in the sense that they provide presumption of conformity with the European legal framework. In other words, and this is a specific feature of the European Standardization System, Harmonised Standards help manufacturers comply with the applicable law.
In addition to the New Approach, CENELEC also prepares standards in support of the Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC), Waste from electrical and electronic equipment directive (WEEE).
To assist manufacturers and other interested parties, the Official Journal of the European Communities provides a list of Harmonised Standards giving presumption of conformity for each Directive.
More information about the New Approach Directives and the harmonisation process can be found on the European Commission DG Enterprise website as well as a dedicated New Approach website.
Technical bodies and Manpower
CENELEC standardization work is carried out in different Technical Bodies in which a wide range of interests is represented.
| Technical Bodies | 2011 |
2012 |
Technical Committees / Sub-Committees |
75 |
77 |
TCs / SCs Working Groups (WGs) |
268 |
277 |
BT Task Forces and WGs |
16 |
15 |
Total |
359 |
369 |
The CENELEC Online Info Service: info@cencenelec.eu
Since its creation in the beginning of 2001, the CENELEC Online Info Service has proved to be an essential tool for responding efficiently and timely to inquiries received relating to CENELEC’s work. This online service contributes to the visibility of all CENELEC activities and promotes a forward-looking image according with the age of real-time information and tailor-made responsiveness.
This online service has been dealing with an increasing number of questions and has become a reference point for international industry.
The number of queries received increased steadily since its creation to reach stability in 2006. In 2009, the Infoservice has become a joint service with CEN in an effort to harmonise our services provided to stakeholders.
Technical Meetings in 2012
Technical Meetings in Brussels: 32
Technical Meetings not in Brussels: 36
Total:68
