Business sectors

The standardization of postal services and the improvement of service quality are strategic priorities for the European Union: they are set out in Directive 97/67/EC on the development of the internal market of Community postal services. The development of appropriate standards is therefore indispensable to ensure interoperability between national networks and for the existence of an efficient universal service.

CEN/TC 331 'Postal services' is the technical committee responsible for fulfilling Standardization Request M/590 on postal services and the improvement of quality of service, in support of Directive 97/67/EC. This request was issued to CEN by the European Commission in 2023 and the work thereunder will be ongoing until 2027.

M/590 includes seven topics for which new European standardization deliverables should be developed, according to the latest regulatory and industry developments, together with five existing standardization deliverables to be revised, in accordance with the European eIDAS Regulation and the Regulation on electronic freight transport information.

In 2024, CEN/TC 331 'Postal services' will work on the following two items, amongst others:

• a European standard on the safe, secure, and contactless delivery of postal items;
  
  
• a European standard on the harmonization of track and trace events, which will consist of at least two parts, with the first one dedicated to forward flow.

MAINTENANCE

CEN/TC 319 'Maintenance' develops generic standards in the field of maintenance. In 2024, the TC will be working on the following two projects:

• a European standard on maintenance function and management, which will describe the role of a maintenance manager and the activities they are responsible for;
  
  
• a European standard on the qualification of maintenance personnel, regarding the tasks to be performed in the context of the maintenance of plant, infrastructure, and production systems.

ELECTRONIC INVOICE

Electronic invoicing is an important requirement for the digitalization of all commercial domains and in the consumer sector. CEN/TC 445 ‘Digital information Interchange in the Insurance Industry’ is finalizing a Technical Specification (TS 17901) that will deal with digital information interchange in the insurance industry - Electronic Premium Invoice - Mapping to Electronic Invoice in EN 16931-1:2017. This document will define the standardized mapping of the specific requirements for an insurance premium invoice based on the generic electronic invoice described in EN 16931-1.

SUSTAINABLE FINANCE

Newly established CEN/TC 475 ‘Finance’ will aim to standardize various topics related to finance. Amongst others, the TC will address sustainable finance in a European context, integrating relevant ISO standardization activities and complementing existing initiatives and regulations. By developing standards on the topic, the TC aims to enhance transparency, consistency, and trust in financial practices. This facilitates informed decision-making and sustainable investments, which ultimately contributes to the alignment of the financial system with global sustainability goals. The first plenary meeting will take place in the first quarter of 2024.