A  new  European  Standard  will  define  comprehensive  requirements  for ‘sheltered-housing’  services.  The  kick-off  meeting  for  the  Project Committee took place 31 October 2008 in Vienna.

Vienna  (3 November  2008) The  increase  in  life  expectancy,  and  consequent
aging of society, puts new demands on housing for the elderly. However, due to
increased  options  afforded  by  technological  advancements,  one  could  find  an
increased  offer  of  independent  living  in  sheltered  housing  during  their  „golden
years‟. Whoever  makes  the  decisions  on  living  arrangements  must  compare
offers  thoroughly  -  the  term  “sheltered housing”  itself has not yet been defined
by law.

To  rectify  this  situation, CEN  has  set  up  the Project Committee CEN/PC  385
„Services  for  sheltered  housing  for  elderly‟.  The  kick-off  meeting  for  the
development of a European Standard on this topic was held on Friday, October
31,  2008  in Vienna  at  the Austrian Standards  Institute, which  coordinates  the
work on a European level.

Ultimately,  the  standard  will  contain  requirements  for  the  transparency  of
services;  the  definitions  of  the  service  performance;  the  housing  offers;  the
design  of  contracts,  as  well  as  for  quality  assurance  measures.  Dr.  Holger
Mühlbauer, Secretary of  the Project Committee, emphasizes  that  this standard
will not deal with product-related requirements but  rather with  the requirements
for the complex services that define the quality of sheltered housing.

The  completion  of  the  standard,  which  will  also  be  the  basis  for  voluntary
certification,  is  expected  in  2011.  For more  information  about  the work  of  the
CEN/PC  385  please  contact  Dr.  Holger  Mühlbauer  holger.muehlbauer@on-
norm.at
 
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About CEN
The European Committee  for Standardization (CEN)  is a business  facilitator  in Europe, removing trade barriers for European industry and consumers. Its mission is to foster the European  economy  in  global  trading,  the  welfare  of  European  citizens  and  the environment.  Through  its  services  it  provides  a  platform  for  the  development of European Standards and other technical specifications. 
 
CEN‟s  30 National Members work  together  to  develop  voluntary  European Standards (ENs) in various sectors to build a European Internal Market for goods and services and to position Europe in the global economy. More than 60.000 technical experts as well as business federations, consumer and other societal interest organizations are involved in the CEN network that reaches over 460 million people. 
 
For further information please visit: www.cen.eu