Europe – Standards & Policy Initiatives

Key Policy and Legislation responsible for the foundation for the EU’s internal market for industrial products is New Legislative Framework (NLF). The New Legislative Framework is one of the EU’s strongest regulatory pillars. It creates a coherent approach to product safety, conformity assessment, and CE marking across the single market.

Standardization has contributed significantly to the completion of the Internal Market in the context of the “New Approach” legislation (established in 1985), which refers to European standards developed by the European standards organizations (CEN, CENELEC, ETSI). It is the foundational method for achieving the free movement of goods in the EU Single Market by preventing technical barriers to trade.

Key Principles

1. EU Legislation (Directives): Defines only the mandatory, high-level Essential Requirements (e.g., safety, health) that products must meet. This ensures Total Harmonization across the EU, replacing diverging national laws.
2. European Standardization Bodies (CEN, CENELEC, ETSI): Are tasked with drawing up detailed, technical Harmonised Standards that fulfil these Essential Requirements.
3. Presumption of Conformity: Products manufactured in line with these voluntary Harmonised Standards are presumed to be compliant with the Essential Requirements, simplifying market access.

The system is flexible because the directives specify what must be achieved, not how (the technical solution). It also provides different options for Conformity Assessment (e.g., self-declaration or third-party involvement).

While the system facilitates trade, national public authorities remain responsible for Market Surveillance and applying Safeguard Clauses to withdraw unsafe products.

In 2008, the EU updated and strengthened the New Approach through the New Legislative Framework.  Since its adoption in 2008, the NLF has ensured that products circulate freely across the EU by harmonising technical requirements, clarifying responsibilities for manufacturers and importers, and strengthening market surveillance. The NLF preserves the New Approach principles but adds enforcement strength. As an evolution, the NLF:

• improves market surveillance rules to better protect both consumers and professionals from unsafe products, including those imported from outside the EU. In particular, this applies to procedures for products which can pose danger to health or the environment.
• sets clear and transparent rules for the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies;
• boosts the quality of and confidence in the conformity assessment of products through stronger and clearer rules on the requirements for the notification of conformity assessment bodies;
• clarifies the meaning of CE marking and enhances its credibility;
• establishes a common legal framework for industrial products in the form of a toolbox of measures for use in future legislation. This includes definitions of terms commonly used in product legislation, and procedures to allow future sectorial legislation to become more consistent and easier to implement.

The European Union is advancing to review and reform policy, regulatory and standardisation agenda aimed at reinforcing product safety, technological leadership, digital sovereignty, green transition, and international competitiveness. Central to this agenda are major consultations launched by the European Commission to modernise the EU’s product safety framework. Review of New Legislative Framework (NLF) and the Market Surveillance Regulation, is initiated, recognising that Europe’s long-standing approach to product conformity and CE marking must evolve to address digitalisation, ecommerce, refurbished goods & increasingly complex supply chains. Here are some of the major milestones since 2008:

• The EU introduced Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 to update market surveillance and compliance rules. This is widely regarded as a significant amendment to the NLF’s regulatory toolbox. Internal Market & SMEs+2European Commission+2
• In 2022 the EU carried out a formal evaluation of the NLF to assess its fitness for the digital and green transition.
• As of 2025, a new revision process is underway — the Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for a “new legislative framework for products that is fit for the digital and sustainable transition.”