CENCENELEC

CENCENELEC is the commonly used name for the collaborative standardization activities of the two European bodies CEN (European Committee for Standardization) and CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization). It is not a separate legal entity; rather, it denotes the joint efforts and coordination between the two organizations to develop and maintain European standards (ENs) across many sectors.

Historically, CEN and CENELEC operate as distinct organizations with shared aims of facilitating trade, safety, interoperability, and regulatory alignment within Europe. They coordinate through the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre (CMC) in Brussels, which provides administrative support, harmonizes procedures, and aligns the development and maintenance of European standards. The two bodies also maintain liaison with international standardization systems, notably ISO and IEC, to harmonize European standards with international norms.

Their activities include the creation of European Standards via technical committees and working groups. ENs produced by CEN and CENELEC may be adopted by member states as national standards and can be used to demonstrate conformity with European directives. In the context of the New Approach, harmonized standards (hENs) issued under this framework provide a presumption of conformity with essential requirements for products placed on the European market.

CENCENELEC operates with participation from the national standards bodies of European countries, and governance typically involves the General Assembly and various technical committees under the oversight of the CMC. The scope covers a broad range of sectors, including electrical and electrotechnical domains, mechanical engineering, information technologies, and consumer products. The initiative supports cross-border trade, product safety, and market access while aligning European standards with international equivalents where appropriate. See also CEN, CENELEC, EN, ISO, IEC.