On 6 October 2026, the European Commission proposed a new Regulation on European standardisation. The proposal is mostly discussed in terms of businesses and compliance, but it also has something to say to researchers. Here is what is changing and why it matters if you work on an EU- or nationally-funded project.
If your project produces new methods, test procedures, data formats or technologies, a standard is one of the most direct routes for those results to reach the market and the people who use them. Until now, the rules governing that route have been set by Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012. The Commission now proposes to replace it. The aim is a system that is faster, more open to the people doing the research, and easier to access.
Why change the rules?
Developing a harmonised standard, the kind that businesses use to show their products comply with EU law, currently takes around six years. Most research projects last three or four years. In practice, this means many projects finish long before the standards their results could inform are ready, and the expertise built during the project often disperses. The Commission's impact assessment also found that researchers, SMEs and civil society take part in standardisation far less than they should, which affects the quality of the standards themselves.
Research gets explicit recognition
For research projects, this is perhaps the most significant shift. The proposal describes standardisation as a way to valorise research results, linking it to the Guiding Principles for Knowledge Valorisation and the Code of Practice on Standardisation in the European Research Area. It calls for researchers, academics, research centres, startups and the open-source community to be actively involved. It also states that European standardisation should build on the results of EU-funded research projects. In other words, contributing to standards is framed as a natural part of what research projects do, rather than an optional extra.
More room for you at the table
The proposal would oblige European and national standardisation bodies to ensure effective representation of research and innovation stakeholders, alongside SMEs, civil society and public authorities. The Commission expects this to make participation easier and less costly. New transparency rules would also make it clearer who is involved in developing a standard and whose interests are represented. For a project team wondering whether its voice will be heard in a technical committee, this is an encouraging signal.
Standards referenced in EU law would become freely available through dedicated online repositories. For researchers, this removes a practical barrier: you could consult the standards relevant to your field without paying for each one. That makes it simpler to check where your results fit and what already exists before you propose something new.
Faster timelines, more windows to contribute
The proposal sets deadlines at each step of the process and aims to reduce the average development time from six years to around four. It also opens new routes. When the European standardisation organisations cannot deliver, the Commission could turn to other designated standards development organisations (SDOa) or, as a last resort, adopt common specifications itself. Interim deliverables could apply temporarily until a full harmonised standard is ready. Shorter and more varied routes mean a better chance that a standard takes shape while your project is still running and your team is still in place.
What happens next, and what you can do now
This is still a proposal. It will be examined by the European Parliament and the Council before it can be adopted, so nothing changes for projects overnight. The direction of travel is clear, though: research is expected to play a larger part in European standardisation. Projects that understand the standardisation landscape in their field will be best placed when the new rules apply.
That is where HSbooster2 can help. Through its free Proposal Support, Mentoring and Standards Accelerator services, the project works with research teams funded through Horizon Europe, other EU programmes and national schemes. Experts help each team identify where its results could feed into standards and how to take part in practice. HSbooster2 will also follow the proposal as it moves through Parliament and Council and report on what it means for the research community.
The proposal and its impact assessment are available on the European Commission's website.
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