European Agile Specification – A New Step Towards the Modernisation of European Standardisation

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) have approved a new standardisation document – the European Agile Specification (EAS). Its aim is to enable the faster development and publication of technical solutions in response to dynamic technological, market and regulatory changes.

EAS will become part of the regular CEN and CENELEC portfolio of deliverables as of 1 January 2027. This new approach will make it possible to publish technical content that is ready for release within a shorter timeframe, while allowing it to be further developed and improved through subsequent versions. Pilot projects have demonstrated that this document can be developed in less than a year.

Accelerating the process does not mean lowering quality requirements. Expertise, transparency, stakeholder participation and consensus-building remain the key principles of European standardisation. EAS does not replace European Standards but provides an additional option for areas where a faster response to change is needed.

The introduction of this specification is part of a broader effort to modernise the European standardisation system, which also includes the digitalisation of standards development, the development of machine-readable SMART Standards, improvements to the process of developing harmonised standards and the reduction of administrative delays.

Through these initiatives, CEN and CENELEC aim to make European standardisation faster, more flexible and digitally advanced, while preserving the quality, expertise and trust on which it is built.

The Institute for Standardization of Serbia (ISS) is following the development and introduction of the European Agile Specification, as well as other initiatives aimed at modernising the European standardisation system, in order to assess in a timely manner the needs and opportunities for their application and implementation within the national standardisation system.