SME standardisation Guide 17

In 2010, CEN and CENELEC decided to adopt Guide 17 for writing standards taking into account SMEs needs. Also thanks to the fundamental contribution of SME representatives during the drafting phase, this guide raises awareness on the issues that may be of importance to SMEs in the development of standards and to facilitate the increased participation of SMEs in standardisation work.

The guide presents a list of recommendations and measures that can be implemented in different moments of the standard drafting process, from the preparation of the new work item to the final review process. Some of the most relevant recommendations are:

  • consider the market relevance of a standard and take into account already available elements
  • take into account the financial impact in terms of investments from standard implementation
  • keep the standard as short and clear as possible, limiting cross-referencing to other standards
  • limit unnecessary testing and carefully consider frequency of tests
  • suggest a coherent transition period
  • assess the implications of possible changes in the revision process

Guide 17 is available free-of-charge in several European languages. Please click on the following links to download the guide in PDF.

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