Members of Congress, ask the government your question
In 2026, the French Standards Association will celebrate its 100th anniversary. For a century, voluntary standardization has enabled economic stakeholders to jointly develop common rules that serve the public interest and promote competitiveness. Beyond its tangible impacts, it also serves as a strategic lever of influence for France in Europe and internationally.
Against a backdrop of intensifying competition among major powers, particularly between China and the United States, France’s ability to influence the development of standards is a key issue. AFNOR therefore invites you to ask the government about its standardization strategy using the following question:
Voluntary standards: 100 years of serving the public interest—what strategy should France adopt?
Mr./Ms. [Name of the Member of Parliament] draws the attention of the Minister of the Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty to the future of French voluntary standardization, on the occasion of its centennial.
In 1926, a voluntary standardization system was established in France to serve the public interest. In 2026, to celebrate its centennial and its achievements, France will host the General Assembly of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) at the end of September, bringing together 170 national organizations—a unique opportunity to reestablish France at the center of the international standards landscape.
Voluntary standardization has established itself as a key tool shaping economic and social life. Through consensus-based processes, it has helped establish best practices and reliable benchmarks in fields as diverse as product and service quality, system security, technological interoperability, and the transparency of environmental commitments. In practical terms, it has given rise to standards that shape everyday life, such as the A4 format, the universal charger, and credit card formats, making simple and interoperable uses possible.
Today, in the face of contemporary challenges—such as the green transition, digital transformation, cybersecurity, and infrastructure resilience—voluntary standardization remains a valuable tool for structuring rapidly evolving sectors, complementing regulation to keep pace with innovation.
However, growing risks threaten France’s ability to maintain its influence in international standard-setting decisions. Global competition for normative influence is intensifying, as certain powers—such as China and the United States—are becoming increasingly aggressive in imposing their own standards. This dynamic undermines France’s ability to defend its priorities and, above all, its interests in shaping the international rules of the game.
Even as the need for voluntary standards has likely never been greater, he questions the long-term strategic vision that the government intends to define and implement in order to sustainably consolidate the position of French and European standardization and strengthen their ability to establish themselves as global benchmarks on major strategic issues beyond 2026.
Thank you for your interest in standards and standardization! Stay up to date on the latest news about voluntary standards and the AFNOR 100th Anniversary program on our website here . We look forward to seeing you at our afternoon event, “Voluntary Standards, Visionary Standards: Two Hours to Envision the Future,” on June 22, 2026, in Paris ( Sign up here ).
