AFNOR

AFNOR, short for Association Française de Normalisation, is France’s national organization for standardization. It coordinates the development of voluntary standards across sectors to promote safety, quality, interoperability, and consumer protection, and it also engages in regulatory standardization where appropriate. AFNOR operates as a non-profit organization serving the public interest and represents France in international and European standardization bodies.

The organization conducts standardization work through committees that bring together representatives from industry, government, consumers, and academia. The resulting documents are published as normative references and may appear under designations such as NF (Norme Française) or NF EN (France’s adoption of European EN standards). In addition to publishing standards, AFNOR provides conformity assessment, certification services, training, and information services through its subsidiaries.

AFNOR operates as the AFNOR Group, a multi-entity structure that includes AFNOR Certification (conformity assessment and certification), AFNOR Editions (publishing and dissemination of standards and related materials), and other services. The group supports organizations in implementing standards, improving management systems, and navigating regulatory requirements.

International and European cooperation is a core function. AFNOR represents France in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and participates in European standardization through the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and, where relevant, CENELEC. Through these affiliations, AFNOR helps align French standards with global and European norms while addressing national priorities.