Business sectors

European ambitions towards cleaner air have become more and more important over the last couple of years. The EU’s clean air policy aims to improve ambient air quality and tackle air pollution to protect the environment and human health. In 2024, the Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EU) and the Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU) were revised to further support the zero pollution ambition of the European Green Deal. The Air Quality Directive aims to define common methods to monitor, assess, and inform on ambient air quality in the EU, including pollutants of emerging concern, whereas the Industrial Emissions Directive aims to create a healthier environment for EU citizens by reducing emissions from large industrial installations.

CEN/TC 264 ‘Air quality’ has many ongoing activities aiming to strengthen the EU’s as well as CEN and CENELEC’s ambitions for environmental protection. The TC will continue to follow the latest technical research and policy developments in 2026 in support of the European goal of creating a healthier environment.

The technical committee most recently established the new working group WG 48 ‘Emissions and ambient air – Determination of PFAS’ considering the high public interest and political considerations on these so-called ‘eternal pollutants’.

In support of the Air Quality Directive, CEN/TC 264 will continue to pursue the development of standards under M/561 ‘Ozone precursors’ to develop and validate standard measurement methods for the measurement and monitoring of volatile organic compounds listed in Directive 2008/50/EU on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe. Additionally, CEN recently accepted three new standardization requests in support of the Air Quality Directive:

• M/610 on the performance of sensor systems aims to transform CEN/TS 17660-1 ‘Air quality – Performance evaluation of air quality sensor systems – Part 1: Gaseous pollutants in ambient air’ and CEN/TS 17660-2 ‘Air quality – Performance evaluation of air quality sensor systems – Part 2: Particulate matter in ambient air’ into European standards after performing validation measures, financially supported by DG Environment.
• M/611 refers to methods for measuring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air and invites CEN/TC 264 to validate and transfer the existing CEN/TS 16645 ‘Ambient air – Method for the measurement of benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[j]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene and benzo[ghi]perylene’ into a European Standard (EN 16645).
• M/612 supports modelling quality objectives for assessment purposes in ambient air.

In support of the Industrial Emissions Directive (Directive 2010/75/EU), the execution of the active Standardization Request M/588 ‘Industrial Emissions’ will continue in 2026. The Standardization Request lays down rules on integrated prevention and control of pollution arising from industrial activities including important pollutants as PCBs, mercury, and formaldehyde.

In 2026, CEN/TC 264 will expect a forthcoming new standardization request from the European Commission to develop standards for several activities. Additionally, the TC will support the implementation of the European Commission’s Annual Union Work Programme 2026 by transforming two Technical Specifications on the measurement of formaldehyde as well as particle number concentration into validated European Standards. Furthermore, the development of a measurement method for ammonia is planned, and in 2026, the publication of two Technical Specifications is expected:

• CEN/TS ‘Fugitive and diffuse emissions of common concern to industry sectors – Detection of fugitive emission of vapours generating from equipment and piping leaks using Optical Gas Imaging (OGI)’
• CEN/TS ‘Fugitive and diffuse emissions of common concern to industry sectors – Standard methods to determine diffuse emission rates of methane into the atmosphere’

Throughout the year, CEN/TC 264 will continue to work in close collaboration with the Directorate General for Environment (DG ENV) of the European Commission to achieve the common goal: a healthier environment for every European citizen.

In 2024, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR) entered into force, marking a significant milestone in the European Union’s commitment to sustainable and circular product design. At the heart of this regulation lies the Digital Product Passport (DPP). The ESPR not only introduces new design requirements specific for different product categories that will be defined by future Delegated Acts but also defines the DPP as an essential operational tool to ensure the regulation’s effective implementation. It is not merely a supporting feature, it is a cornerstone of the ESPR’s practical rollout.

The European DPP is not just an additional administrative burden. It is a revolution from a digitalization point of view as well as from a market point of view, and it will provide a series of unexpected possibilities. CEN and CENELEC Technical Committees stand ready to foster this new age.

The DPP is strategic for European ambitions in terms of sustainability. CEN and CENELEC accepted the Standardization Request M/604 given by the European Commission, and they initiated the standardization work even before the ESPR was ready. The goal is to develop standards that enable the implementation of the Digital Product Passport, as a single system, under the ESPR. In 2026, CEN-CLC/JTC 24 ‘Digital Product Passport – Framework and System’ will continue the development of the eight harmonized standards requested by M/604 which will be cited in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).

CEN-CLC/JTC 24 tries to resolve the complex equation of aligning the needs of all stakeholders that will play a role in the implementation and operation of the DPP: the EU Market Surveillance Authorities, manufacturers, recyclers, consumers, DPP service providers, border customs authorities, and others.

M/604 sets requirements for the development of harmonized European standards to support the Digital Product Passport (DPP), focusing on eight core requirements covered by the following standards:

• prEN 18216 ‘Data Exchange Protocols’
• prEN 18219 ‘Unique identifiers’
• prEN 18220 ‘Data Carriers’
• prEN 18221 ‘Data storage, archiving, and data persistence’
• prEN 18222 ‘Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for the product passport lifecycle management and searchability’
• prEN 18223 ‘System Interoperability’
• prEN 18239 ‘Access rights management, information system security, and business confidentiality’
• prEN 18246 ‘Data authentication, reliability and integrity’

These harmonized standards are expected to be published in 2026 as the use of DPP for certain products (such as batteries) is already mandatory by the beginning of 2027.

All of them are essential for the implementation of the European DPP, and the requirements are closely interconnected. Interoperability is a key aspect, and a technically demanding one, as the European DPP must be able to interface with existing DPP systems worldwide. This global compatibility is vital for sustainability efforts to leverage the vast amount of product data already gathered by the industry.

In 2026, other CEN and CENELEC TCs responsible for the different categories of products that fall under the scope of the ESPR will already prepare the technical elements necessary for the development of future product standards for which the DPP will soon be applicable (such as textile/apparels, mattress, furniture, iron and steel, and so on). This work will be coordinated by the CEN and CENELEC Coordination Group on Ecodesign (CEN-CLC/COG Ecodesign) with the aim to align all sectors, share experiences, and identify synergies.

In 2026, CEN and CENELEC will continue with their ambition to support the implementation of the European Green Deal through standardization. Additionally, Climate Change adaptation and mitigation will take precedence to be tackled through standardization.

Adaptation to climate change 

The main areas of interest for CEN/TC 467 ‘Climate Change’ are mitigation and adaptation. For both, the TC has active WGs continuing their aim to support climate change mitigation and adaptation through standardization in 2026. The TC also plans to explore the topics of taxonomy and climate finance. One major achievement will be the development of a Technical Report ‘Adaptation to climate change – Guidelines on using climate data in infrastructure standards’. This document will define parameters for future climate data and specify where to find relevant climate data suitable for climate adaptation of infrastructure and resilience-building needs. It will focus on the following climate system data: wind, temperature, precipitation, humidity, and sea level rise. CEN/TC 467 will also support the execution of the Standardization Request M/617 ‘Climate adaptation’. In light of this, WG 2 will draft a standard covering climate services as requested by the European Commission.

The coordination group CEN-CLC/COG ‘Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change’ will continue to closely collaborate with CEN/TC 467 in 2026 and also support the execution of Standardization Request M/617. The group will continue updating the guidance reference for standards drafters to include climate adaptation measures in standardization deliverables.

Waste management 

The deliverables of CEN/TC 183 ‘Waste management’ specify technical requirements to minimize significant hazards and hazardous situations which may occur during the collection and transportation of waste on the one hand, and increase the efficiency of waste disposal processes on the other. In 2026, CEN/TC 183 will continue the revision of the EN 1501 series ‘Refuse collection vehicles – General requirements and safety requirements’ to incorporate and cover the new and updated Essential Health and Safety Requirements of the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. The TC will also finish the work on prEN 18158 ‘Waste management – Mobile IT systems – Requirements for the XML interface Office-Mobile’. This new standard will define the digital data exchange between the dispatching stationary unit (office) and the mobile units of the refuse collection vehicles. With the standardization of this interface, it will be possible to combine the management software with different subsystems of the mobile vehicle equipment without having to make one-time and recurring interface agreements. Furthermore, revisions of several popular container standards are expected to be launched in 2026, such as the EN 840 series on ‘Mobile waste containers’, the EN 13071 series on ‘Stationary waste containers up to 5 000 l, top lifted and bottom emptied’ or EN 15132 ‘Container shells for mobile waste containers with a capacity up to 1 700 l’.

Environment 

CLC/TC 111X ‘Environment’ deals with environmental aspects for electrical and electronic products and systems. In 2026, CLC/TC 111X/WG 6 will continue working on the revision of standards in support of the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive (2012/19/EU) covering requirements for waste from electrical and electronic equipment. In addition, CLC/TC 111X/WG 8 'Method for quantitative eco design via life cycle assessment and environmental declarations through product category rules for EEE' will start working on a Preliminary Work Item (PWI) on Product Category Rules for Material Efficiency Assessment and on an New Work Item (NWI) on Product category rules for life cycle assessment of electrical and electronic products and systems – Guidance for application in Europe in 2026. In addition, CLC/TC 111X/WG 12 'Design for Plastics Recycling' is developing a Technical Specification that aims to support the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy’s objective to improve the economics and quality of plastics recyclates, in particular to improve the design for recycling plastic products as well as the quality of inputs to the recycling industry to create viable markets for recycled plastics and to promote plastics recycling of electrical and electronic equipment.

Soil and sludge 

The standards of CEN/TC 444 ‘Environmental characterization of solid matrices’ will play an essential role in the future characterization of European soils. For this, CEN/TC 444 will continue to strengthen its cooperation with the European Commission's soil unit and the EC’s Joint Research Centre, providing technical expertise and guidance to support the effective implementation of the recently accepted Soil Monitoring Law. CEN/TC 444 has intensified its work on emerging pollutants like microplastics and PFAS and has established close relations with a number of European research projects, which will continue throughout 2026. One major milestone in 2026 will be the activation of a preliminary work item on 'Soil, sediment and sludge – Sampling, pre-treatment and analysis of microplastics'. Furthermore, CEN/TC 444 will continue close collaboration with ISO/TC 190 ‘Soil Quality’, ensuring the development of EN ISO standards wherever possible and exploring how this collaboration can be as efficient as possible.

Smart and sustainable cities and communities 

CEN/TC 465 ‘Sustainable Cities and Communities’ will create a dedicated Working Group on ‘Industrial Symbiosis for Sustainable Cities and Communities’ to continue working on the transformation of CWA 17354:2018 ‘Industrial Symbiosis: Core Elements and Implementation Approaches’ into a full European standard. The WG will remain closely linked to the CEN-CLC Horizon Project Risers, exploring industrial symbiosis from a European perspective. In early 2026, CEN/TC 465 will publish FprEN 18140 ‘Sustainable cities and communities – Nature-based solutions (NbSs) – Terminology and classification’. In addition to these activities, CEN/TC 465 will focus on the recently created task group on ‘Local Digital Twin’ with the aim of developing an integrated information framework to support local sustainability management and ensure better alignment between EU policies and territorial realities. By leveraging digital twins, it seeks to enhance urban governance through evidence-based decision-making tools that provide reliable data and simulations seamlessly integrated into local management systems. This will contribute to measurable sustainability indicators tailored to local contexts, enable the assessment of policy impacts, and support the real-time adjustment of strategies.

Material efficiency 

The CEN and CENELEC joint technical committee CEN-CLC/JTC 10 ‘Material efficiency aspects for products in scope of Ecodesign legislation’ will continue their work on prEN 45558 ‘General method to declare the use of critical raw materials in products’ and prEN 45553 ‘General method for assessing the ability of a product to be remanufactured or refurbished’ to support the EU goal of enhancing product circularity. In addition to these two standards, JTC 10/WG 2 will start working on a project with the title ‘Durability index’. In 2026, JTC 10 will look into the revision of standards under their care in light of the transition from the Ecodesign Directive to the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and will collaborate closely with the Join Research Centre of the European Commission on this matter. JTC 10 is also responsible for supporting the execution of M/608 ‘EcoPhones’ through further amending EN 45558 to achieve a document complying with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2023/1670.

Circular Economy 

CEN/TC 473 ‘Circular Economy’ will focus on the development of horizontal standards related to European specific prerequisites, legislation, and policy and producer’s responsibility in 2026. In particular, the TC will continue drafting two Technical Specifications supporting European standards users for the application of ISO publications: ‘Circular economy – Guidance on the implementation of ISO 59010 with consideration of European policies and regulations’ and ‘Circular Economy – Practical information and guidance for the implementation of ISO 59004 in Europe’. Additionally, CEN/TC 473 will further work on a European standard on information sharing, ‘Circular Economy – Product-related data and information sharing along value networks’. The TC will also add a work item covering validation of product lifetime claims (guidelines and requirements). TC 473 will look into the adoption of two ISO standards on the European level: ISO 54040 ‘Product circularity data sheet’ and ISO 59014 ‘Environmental management and circular economy – Sustainability and traceability of the recovery of secondary materials – Principles, requirements and guidance’.

The technical committee will also continue with the ambitious task of harmonizing the European perspective on Circular Economy standardization as much as possible with the international perspective through a close collaboration with the ISO counterpart ISO/TC 323 ‘Circular Economy’.