European standard: the EN designation is still in use

Finding the right charging station for your electric car, making sure your picnic plates are made of compostable bioplastic, knowing how to pack up works of art to save them from a burning cathedral… Far from making life difficult for European citizens, European standards make their daily lives easier. At least, the voluntary standards—the ones marked “EN”! Here’s an explanation, on the eve of the European elections in late May 2019.

On May 26 and 27, citizens of the 27 member states of the European Union will be called upon to elect their Members of the European Parliament. Their mandate will be to amend, negotiate, and adopt directives and regulations, which are the equivalents of our laws and decrees. We are dealing here with legally binding texts, adopted by a political majority, sometimes in codecision with the European Council.

What is a standard? Be careful—there are several possible answers!

Alongside this body of legislation, there is another set of texts, also applicable throughout Europe, but without the force of law or any political bias: voluntary standards. Here, we must set the record straight: the term “standard” is not the one used in a sweeping, sweeping manner, associated with the idea of a free-for-all or a race to the bottom, simply because it has become conflated with the countless measures stemming from a directive or regulation (for example, the “anti-pollution standards” for our cars). A voluntary standard is, in reality, a practical document—a set of defined rules of the game established, on their own initiative, by market participants. Proof of this is their commitment to achieving this: 19,000 professionals, representing government agencies, unions, local authorities, and consumer associations, are involved in France with AFNOR in these collaboratively developed projects, in the public interest, under a consensus-based system. While some were originally purely French, the vast majority are now international (ISO standards) or European—the standards that include “EN” in their titles. And it is these very standards, known in English as “standards,” that underpin all freely available products and services in the EU… for the comfort and safety of the user.

France is deeply committed

Ranked second—behind Germany—among the countries most involved at the European level, France plays an active role in the development of European standards. Managing more than one in five standardization committee secretariats, French stakeholders steer standardization projects toward very concrete topics, such as elevators, baby care products (see box), cosmetics, and packaging. European standards are not there to make consumers’ lives difficult; quite the contrary. Their primary role is to facilitate the selection of products and services, as these are required to meet common criteria for quality, reliability, and safety. European standards prevent the proliferation of national standards that are incompatible or difficult to compare… Quite the opposite of the much-criticized regulatory inflation in the legislative or regulatory sphere!

Five EN standards with unexpected benefits

Electric cars: Finding the right charging station using the NF EN 17186 standard

A European standard defines the symbols—a white or black hexagon containing the letter C—used to identify the correct power outlet for a vehicle. The main distinction lies in the power supply method, whether it relies on the vehicle’s connectors and sockets or on standard electrical outlets (reference NF EN 17186 )

Baby Care: A Guide to Choosing High-Performance Sleeping Bags That Meet the NF EN 16781 Standard

Choosing a baby sleeping bag for different seasons isn’t easy for everyone. A European standard allows manufacturers to test the performance of their products using a harmonized method. For consumers, the standard makes products comparable: consumers can be confident that all products tested according to this standard provide sufficient warmth to eliminate the need for additional bedding, which can be potentially dangerous for an unsupervised child. (reference NF EN 16781 ).

Controlling the service life of electrical products with the NF EN 4555x standard

Until now, each manufacturer had its own method for calculating the lifespan of its electrical products. This made it impossible to compare two similar washing machines, for example, if they were from different brands. European standards provide harmonized solutions to these key issues

Plastic: Promoting bio-based cups, plates, and other tableware in accordance with the NF EN 16640 standard

Plastic cups and plates will be banned as of January 1, 2020. Starting on that date, these types of disposable tableware must be compostable and made from at least 50% bio-based materials. A European standard sets out the calculation methods and requirements for meeting this standard, with the aim of making products comparable and maximizing the expected benefits. (reference NF EN 16640 ).

Transporting cultural property in accordance with standards NF EN 15946 and NF EN 16648

The fire at Notre Dame Cathedral required the urgent relocation of cultural artifacts saved from the flames. To pack and transport them for restoration, artisans will be able to rely on European standards. These standards provide valuable best practices for every situation and preferred mode of transport. (references NF EN 15946 and NF EN 16648 ).