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European Initiative Meeting Standards
22 - 30 June 2026 | | | |
Call for activities
Now in its 4th edition, Meeting Standards is SBS' initiative bringing together EU policymakers, industry stakeholders, and civil society around the importance of standards for SMEs in Europe. From 22 to 30 June 2026, the campaign creates a dedicated moment for the standards community to mobilise collectively. Last year, it reached more than 700,000 people across the continent, a testament to the power of coordinated action.
The campaign is open to all standards professionals and organisations willing to contribute. Activities can take many forms: webinars or workshops introducing standards to SMEs, training sessions on specific standards or standardisation processes, networking events, or targeted social media campaigns. Every contribution adds to a growing collective effort that strengthens the European standards community year after year, while offering participating organisations an opportunity to build visibility and engage new audiences.
👉 Register an activity and access all resources at Meeting Standards
SBS Event and Inaugural Awards Ceremony
With the EU Product Act on the horizon, the 2026 edition arrives at a particularly significant moment, making it a natural setting to convene decision-makers, SME representatives, and standards bodies around the future of the Single Market. To mark this occasion, SBS will combine its annual stakeholder reception with the inaugural SBS Awards Ceremony, celebrating outstanding contributions to SME-inclusive standardisation.
Save the date for 29 June at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) premises in Brussels for this landmark event. A call for nominees will be released soon. | | | | | |
Welcome and congratulations to our 78 experts for 2026
A cornerstone of Small Business Standards' (SBS) mission is ensuring the voice of SMEs is strongly represented in the creation of European and international standards. We achieve this through the direct involvement of dedicated SME experts within crucial technical committees.
This year marks a significant milestone, with a record-breaking 78 experts selected to champion SME interests across European and international standardisation bodies.
Thanks to this remarkable commitment, SBS now has a strong presence in numerous technical committees, subcommittees, and working groups. This allows us to actively shape the content of standards in a wide range of sectors vital to SMEs, ensuring their specific needs are taken into account. | | | |
SBS Board appoints Vice-Presidents and Treasurer
We are pleased to announce that following the election of the SBS President in December 2025, the Board has now appointed its Vice-Presidents and Treasurer.
The newly appointed members and their respective roles are as follows:
Philip van Nieuwenhuizen - President Gérard Bobier - Vice President for Internal Affairs Lukas Koo - Vice President for External Affairs Tim Krögel - Treasurer | | | |
SBS respond to the consultation on the revision of the New Legislative Framework
In February SBS submitted its reply to the European Commission public consultation on the revision of the New Legislative Framework (NLF). Since its creation, the NLF has played a central role in the achievement of the Single Market, providing a flexible framework that allows to cope with technological developments and bring lasting and tangible benefits to European SMEs.
SBS believes that the revision process of the NLF should maintain its overarching principles and proceed towards a moderate revision.
Furthermore, SBS believes that the provisions related to the CE marking are still appropriate. While acknowledging that there are cases where there can be confusion among consumers about the nature and scope of the CE marking, this does not seem to be a sufficient reason to eliminate a well-known, well-established system that is still serving its purpose.
However, the revision on the NLF must be an occasion to clarify and integrate certain definitions (such as “refurbishment“, “repair”, “reuse” and “substantial modification“) that are either absent or not fully clear and harmonised in the current NLF framework, along with clarifying the obligations and responsibilities of operators carrying out these activities.
With regards to the Digital Product Passport (DPP), which will be a centrepiece of the new revised NLF, SMEs have to be provided with guidance and clear compliance tools to make the DPP a success for EU citizens and all economic operators. Much stronger efforts are needed in terms of clarity and guidance to SMEs to make sure that such solutions can provide economic advantages and not, on the other hand, place excessive requirements that would put SMEs and microenterprises at a disadvantage vis á vis market surveillance authorities, other economic operators and customers.
The revision of the NLF is part of the Commission initiatives towards a future EU Product Act, which will also include the revised Standardisation Regulation and Market Surveillance Regulation (MSR). In this sense, SBS believes that the future revised Standardisation Regulation should remain as a standalone piece of legislation within the Product Act, while there could be merit in merging the future NLF and MSR together, provided that the new joint act is designed coherently and any overlaps and discrepancies are avoided.
Read the full SBS reply here. | | | |
Joint industry position paper on AVS 4+ published to support CPR implementation
EuroWindoor, Glass for Europe, EPPA, European Aluminium and Small Business Standards have published a joint position on the introduction of an additional Assessment and Verification System (AVS 4+) under the revised Construction Products Regulation (EU) 2024/3110. The paper aims to contribute to ongoing discussions on the practical implementation of the CPR, in particular for the windows and doors sector.
The position highlights the specific characteristics of the sector, where products are often project-specific and performance is determined through a combination of components such as profiles, glazing and dimensions. In this context, manufacturers widely rely on software-based calculation tools to assess performance for variable technical characteristics. These tools have been used in practice for many years and are embedded in existing production and compliance processes.
The joint proposal suggests complementing the current AVS framework with an additional system that would allow manufacturers to use verified software, based on validated input data, to determine performance. This approach aims to ensure reliability while maintaining a proportionate and operationally feasible system, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The position was presented during an exchange with the European Commission (DG GROW), where industry representatives shared insights on the implications of the current approach under AVS 3. In particular, discussions focused on the expectation for Notified Bodies to verify calculation results and the resulting workload for both manufacturers and certification bodies. While simplifications such as the use of reference sizes, cascading procedures and component value transfer were acknowledged, participants also underlined the need to ensure that implementation remains workable in practice.
The proposal was also introduced to the Group of Notified Bodies, providing an opportunity to gather feedback from certification bodies on the feasibility of different approaches and on their role in ensuring the reliability of performance assessment.
Read the full joint position here
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Register to the EDU4Standards Training: Standards for SME Business Strategy - Learn the Essentials
Standards shape markets, drive innovation, and open doors, but for many SMEs, they still feel complex and out of reach. What if you could turn them into a strategic advantage?
Join the EDU4Standards online training “Standards for SME Business Strategy – Learn the Essentials” on 27 and 28 April 2026 (10:00–12:30 CEST) and discover the basics of standards and standardisation. In two dynamic, interactive sessions, you’ll gain a clear, practical understanding of how standards work, who shapes them, and, most importantly, how your business can benefit and get involved. No prior knowledge is needed.
👉 Check the detailed agenda & Register now to secure your spot
Organised by SBS and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the context of the EDU4Standards project, this free training combines expert insights with real-world relevance. Whether you represent an SME, an SME organisation, or work closely with small businesses, this is your chance to build valuable knowledge around standards in just five hours.
The sessions take place online via Microsoft Teams, in English, and include interactive elements to keep learning engaging and practical.
Places are limited, so don’t wait too long to secure your spot. Take this opportunity to demystify standards and discover how they can support your business growth!
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New Training on digital skills for PPE & Textile care SMEs
Small Business Standards, in collaboration with DTV, European DIGITAL SME Alliance, and SME Safety, has developed a set of resources aimed at supporting European SMEs in their digital transformation journey. These resources address the skills, technologies, and strategic considerations that SMEs in traditional and regulated sectors increasingly need to understand in order to remain competitive, compliant, and resilient.
The learning materials focus on practical, accessible insights into how digital technologies are reshaping production processes, business models, and value chains. They are particularly relevant for SMEs operating in sectors such as textiles and textile care, personal protective equipment (PPE), healthcare and medical devices, where digitalisation is closely linked to regulatory requirements, traceability, sustainability, and standardisation.
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Topics covered The materials provide an overview of key digital transformation themes, including: - Artificial intelligence and data-driven innovation, supporting decision-making, automation, and efficiency gains
- Digital platforms and data infrastructures, enabling interoperability, traceability, and secure data sharing
- Cybersecurity and digital resilience, addressing risks linked to increased connectivity and digital adoption
- Digital Product Passport and regulatory-driven digitalisation, highlighting the role of standards and compliance
- Smart textiles and sector-specific digital innovation, with concrete examples from textile care and related industries
- European initiatives, trainings and hubs for digital skills and workforce development, supporting SMEs in upskilling and reskilling
Discover the training here
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SBS interview in the "Normes 360" newsletter on the revision of the Standardisation Regulation
SBS is featured in the 7th edition of the monthly newsletter "Normes 360", published by the General Commission for Sustainable Development (CGDD), part of France's Ministry of Ecological Transition, with an interview on the ongoing revision of Regulation 1025/2012 on European standardisation
In the interview, SBS presented its work, highlighting the vital contribution of SBS experts in European and international standardisation. Furthermore, SBS discussed the impact of Regulation 1025/2012 since its inception, its success in providing a legal status and improved conditions for access and effective participation of European SMEs in standardisation and the areas that remain to be improved, with regards to standardisation at national and international level. SBS closed the interview reiterating the strategic importance of standards for SMEs and for the SIngle Market as a whole, as vital tools for compliance, legal certainty and growth. Find the interview here
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EFESME & SBS reacts to the evaluation of the Lifts Directive
EFESME and SBS welcome the European Commission’s recent evaluation of the Lifts Directive, which confirms the Directive remains fit for purpose and aligns with the long‑standing positions of both organisations. The evaluation highlights a key issue: limited competitiveness in the lift‑maintenance market due to restricted access to lift data, tools, and components - barriers that particularly harm SMEs. This finding validates the concerns EFESME and SBS have raised for years. It also notes gaps in the Directive, including an outdated list of safety components and missing provisions on accessibility for persons with disabilities. EFESME and SBS will continue working with the Commission to address these issues and ensure the Directive stays effective and relevant. Find the press release here
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EU Product Act
By the end of 2026, the European Commission will launch the new EU Product Act package. The Product Act will include new revised Standardisation Regulation, New Legislative Framework (NLF) and Market Surveillance Regulation (MSR), thus covering the EU framework for standardisation, placing onto the market of products and surveillance and enforcement of the safety of products available in the Single Market.
In short, the Product Act will rewrite the rulebook and the fundamental underlying infrastructure of the Single Market.
Currently the revisions of all three existing pieces of legislation are proceeding in parallel, although not exactly on the same timeline, with the revised MSR lagging a bit behind. However, the European Commission has already anticipated that the Product Act will only be launched once all three revisions have been completed. Therefore, the current Commission timeline (launch in Q3 2026) might prove to be too ambitious.
With regards to the future content, SBS is in favour of having a Product Act as a package, while warning that all three pieces of legislation should not be merged together. On the contrary, SBS believes that that the future revised Standardisation Regulation should remain as a standalone piece of legislation within the Product Act.
A merging all three pieces of legislation would cause confusion, make the content too heterogenous and actually hamper legislative cohesion, rather than reinforcing it. The efficiency and coherence (both internal and external) of the Standardisation Regulation are among its main strengths, therefore there seems to be very little argument for such a wholesale merging.
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🔹Rolling Plan 2026 for ICT Standardisation: strengthening the link between policy and implementation
The European Commission has recently published the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation 2026. The Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation 2026, updated annually, aligns EU regulatory priorities with standardisation bodies, addressing gaps and supporting legislation. Developed with the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), it integrates input from industry, authorities, academia, and civil society. 2026 updates expand their scope to 260 actions across 40 domains, introducing trusted chips, internet standards, and media trust (security, resilience, authenticity). Existing areas—data economy, interoperability, and digital identity—now reflect new regulations like the Data Act and eIDAS.
🔹Revision of Regulation 1025/2012 on European standardisation - EC Targeted questionnaire for companies and industry organisations
In the framework of the ongoing revision of Regulation 1025/2012 on European standardisation, the European has launched a targeted survey aimed at companies and industry organisations to gather feedback on the current status and functioning of the Regulation and on a number of possible future policy options to be pursued under the revision and their potential benefits and costs to industry. The survey will be open at this link until 21 April.
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- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/284 of 6 February 2026 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/451 on the harmonised standards for construction products drafted in support of Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/546 of 12 March 2026 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/1586 as regards harmonised standards for packaging machines, rough-terrain trucks, food processing machinery, cranes, cableway installations, agricultural and forestry machinery, lifts, rescue tools, hand-held tools, equipment in railway applications, aircraft ground support equipment, earth-moving machinery and refuse collection vehicles and correcting that Decision (EN 81-43)
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2383 of 25 November 2025 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/76 as regards the harmonised standard on safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts regarding the evacuation of persons with disabilities using lifts (EN 81-76)
The latest list of harmonised standards referenced in the Official Journal, including the consolidated list of references, can be viewed on the European Commission website.
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SBS Events 2026
27 & 28 April 2026 - EDU4Standards Training : Standards for SME Business Strategy - Learn the Essentials – Agenda & Registration
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