By preparing the standard as a combined CEN and ISO standard, the final draft standard is subjected to parallel voting:
- by the ISO members to approve publication as an ISO standard, and
- by the CEN members to approve it as a CEN standard.
If the final draft is approved in ISO, but rejected in CEN, CEN may decide to develop a separate CEN standard on the same subject. This process ensures that the European interests are taken into account.
This is very important, because the European Standardization System is unique in the world. After the publication of a European Standard, each national standards body or committee is obliged to withdraw any national standard which conflicts with the new European Standard. Hence, one European Standard becomes the national standard in all the 34 member countries of CEN and/or CENELEC.
In addition, some CEN standards may also be made mandatory in the framework of EU legislation. However, this is not the case for the set of EPB standards.
Read more on ISO and CEN, the road ahead
See also Q&A: Is the set of EPB standards mandatory in Europe?
2019.07.22