published by CEN - CENELEC on Tuesday 10 Jul 2012

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) are offering free advice to developers of research projects regarding different ways of taking standards into account and linking-up with standardization activities. This advice will be especially valuable for consortia that are intending to submit project proposals under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

The last series of calls for project proposals under European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) are being published today (10 July 2012) by the European Commission. These calls provide opportunities for consortia to apply for European funding to support research, development and innovation projects that will contribute to the advancement of science and technology across a wide range of different fields.

Several of the calls issued under FP7 refer to the possibility of standards and standardization being included in the work activities or possible outputs of projects. Integrating standards and standardization in project proposals can amplify the impacts of future projects, as well as facilitating the dissemination and exploitation of research results.

Researchers and consortia can access advice on how to integrate standards and standardization into their project proposals by contacting the CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk. This advice is free of charge, confidential, and tailored to the specific needs of each project. Relevant information can also be found on the CEN-CENELEC website.

CEN and CENELEC are organising a free information session, where participants will learn about how to include standardization in their project proposals to be submitted under FP7. This info session will be held at the CEN-CENELEC Meeting Centre (17 Avenue Marnix, Brussels) on Thursday, 13 September 2012 (from 10:00 to 13:30).

By taking account of existing standards, project proposers can make sure that they are using recognised methodologies, processes and terminology.  Standards provide a means to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements such as health and safety rules. They can facilitate market acceptance by meeting the needs of manufacturers and end-users in terms of connectivity and compatibility with existing products and processes.

Research, development and innovation projects can also contribute to the preparation of new or revised standards, by sharing relevant knowledge with the European Standards Organisations. CEN and CENELEC offer the possibility of “Project Liaison”, which means that researchers can attend meetings of Technical Committees at European level, and directly participate in discussions on the development of new European Standards.

In certain cases, project leaders and consortia can help to identify gaps in the standards landscape, and develop proposals for new standards and specifications that meet emerging needs, while taking the latest scientific and technological advances into account. This can be done, for example, by setting up a CEN or CENELEC Workshop, leading to the adoption of a CEN Workshop Agreement or a CENELEC Workshop Agreement (CWA).

CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk: research@cencenelec.eu    

Research homepage on the CEN-CENELEC website: www.cencenelec.eu/research

7th Framework Programme (FP7) homepage: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html  

Information session for project developers (Brussels, 13 September 2012): http://www.cencenelec.eu/research/training/Pages/default.aspx 

Notes

CEN (European Committee for Standardization) and CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) are officially recognised organisations responsible for developing and defining standards at European level. These standards set out specifications and procedures in relation to a wide range of products and services.

The members of CEN and CENELEC are the National Standards Bodies and National Electrotechnical Committees of 33 European countries including all of the EU member states plus three EFTA countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) and three EU candidate countries (Croatia, Turkey, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).

European Standards (ENs) are developed through a process of collaboration among experts nominated by business and industry, research institutes, consumer and environmental organisations and other societal stakeholders. These standards are accepted and recognised throughout all of the countries covered by CEN and CENELEC members.

CEN and CENELEC work to promote the international harmonisation of standards in the framework of technical cooperation agreements with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission).

For more information about CEN and CENELEC, please see: www.cencenelec.eu    

Media contact:

Ben Carlin

Communication Unit

CEN-CENELEC

T: +32 (0)2 550 08 32

bcarlin@cencenelec.eu

html version: http://www.cencenelec.eu/News/Press_Releases/Pages/PR-2012-12.aspx

pdf version: ftp://ftp.cencenelec.eu/EN/News/PR/PR-2012-12.pdf