CEN and CENELEC respond to EU call for evidence on revising the New Legislative Framework

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN ) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical (CENELEC), two leading European standardisation bodies, have submitted a formal response to the European Commission’s Call for Evidence on updating the New Legislative Framework (NLF) — the legal structure that supports harmonised product rules across the EU.

The NLF was originally established in 2008 through Decision 768/2008 and Regulation 765/2008, and has long provided a foundation for the CE marking system, market surveillance, and conformity assessment across product legislation.

In their position paper, CEN and CENELEC note that a 2022 evaluation identified that the framework is showing strain under modern pressures: evolving digital technologies, more complex value chains, and increased emphasis on sustainability and the circular economy.

Key points from their response include:

• The revision should preserve the public-private partnership model: regulation by European institutions complemented by technical standardisation led by organisations like CEN, CENELEC, and ETSI.
• The NLF update must be coordinated with related reforms — especially the revision of the Standardization Regulation and the Omnibus on aligning product legislation with the digital age — to avoid fragmentation and duplication.
• The Digital Product Passport (DPP) must be aligned with the revised NLF: regulatory obligations, standards, and CE marking should work together without overlap or uncertainty.

CEN and CENELEC’s paper also calls for avoiding conflicting requirements, ensuring clarity for stakeholders, and reinforcing legal certainty for businesses.

The European Commission is expected to launch a public consultation by the end of 2025 to gather more feedback. A formal proposal for the revised NLF is planned for the first half of 2026.