EN ISO

“EN ISO” is a standard system issued by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) in cooperation with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which adopts the ISO standards as European standards (EN), and at the same time may be adapted according to the actual needs of Europe.

I. Basic Concepts

Definition: EN ISO standards are the “adopted version” of ISO standards in the European region. When ISO publishes an international standard, CEN will evaluate it, and if it is considered to meet European needs, it will be transformed into an EN standard with “EN” in front of the number, while retaining the original ISO number (e.g. EN ISO 9001:2015).

Purpose: To promote technical harmonization, mutual recognition of products and trade facilitation within Europe and globally by combining international standards with European norms.

Second, the relationship with ISO standards

Consistency: The core technical content of EN ISO standards is basically consistent with ISO standards to ensure international universality.

Adaptive adjustment: Under the premise of not changing the technical core of ISO standards, supplementary requirements specific to Europe (such as regulations, market access conditions, etc.) may be added.

Authority: In the European market, EN ISO standards have the same legal effect as other European standards (EN), which is an important basis for product compliance.

III. Background of the European Standardization System

Role of CEN: The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) is responsible for coordinating the standardization work of European countries, and its members include the standardization bodies of 34 European countries (e.g., German DIN, British BSI, etc.).

Standards development process: CEN cooperates with the corresponding ISO technical committees through technical committees (TCs) to evaluate, adopt or revise ISO standards, and finally publish them as EN standards.

Relationship with EU regulations: Some of the EN ISO standards are referenced in EU regulations (e.g. CE marking) and have become mandatory requirements for products entering the European market (e.g. Machinery Directive, Electrical and Electronic Directive, etc.).

Application and Impact

Compliance: European enterprises need to comply with EN ISO standards to meet the market access requirements (e.g. CE marking certification), and non-European enterprises need to comply with the corresponding EN ISO standards if they export their products to Europe.

Global Mutual Recognition: Due to the consistency between EN ISO and ISO standards, EN ISO certified companies or products are often recognized in international markets, reducing the cost of duplicate certifications.

Technical harmonization: helps to eliminate trade barriers caused by differences in standards between European countries and promotes the harmonization of technologies, products and services within the region.