European Boating Industry (EBI) welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to revise the EU Standardisation Regulation[1], published on 6- October. The proposal follows EBI’s recommendations, marking an important success for the recreational boating industry and its efforts to make European standardisation faster, more accessible and less costly for businesses.

European harmonised standards play a crucial role in enabling recreational boat manufacturers and equipment suppliers to demonstrate compliance with EU legislation, particularly the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD). Several key industry priorities are reflected in the proposal:

• Free access to harmonised standards: All harmonised standards referenced in EU legislation will be made freely accessible online, significantly reducing costs for businesses.
• Faster development: Clearer deadlines and shorter assessment procedures to accelerate the availability of harmonised standards.
• Stronger SME participation: New provisions will facilitate the involvement of SMEs in standardisation processes, including free or reduced-cost participation.
• International alignment: The proposal maintains the international first principle, supporting alignment with ISO standards with an increased focus on EU strategic interests.

These improvements are particularly important for the recreational boating sector, which is overwhelmingly composed of SMEs and relies on internationally aligned standards to remain competitive. The announcement follows EBI’s active engagement in the consultation process and direct discussions with the European Commission over the past months.

Philip Easthill, Secretary-General of European Boating Industry, commented:

"This proposal is an important success for our industry. Making standards freely accessible, accelerating their development and enabling low-cost SME participation in standardisation is critical. This reduces costs and burden on businesses in our sector and brings tangible benefits to European boat manufacturers and equipment suppliers."

EBI will continue engaging during the legislative process to further strengthen the proposal, particularly regarding SME participation, simplification of assessment procedures and legal certainty for industry.

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_2070