What is a harmonized standard?

A harmonised standard is a European standard elaborated on the basis of a request from the European Commission to a recognised European Standards Organization (CEN, CENELEC or ETSI) to develop a European standard that provides solutions for compliance with the relevant European Union harmonization legislation. The European Commission is responsible for publishing the references and titles of harmonized standards and references to them in the relevant European Union harmonization legislation. Manufacturers, other economic operators or conformity assessment bodies can use harmonised standards to demonstrate that their products, services or processes comply with the relevant EU legislation. References of harmonized standards are available on the European Commission's website. The purpose of that website is to provide access to the latest lists of references of harmonized standards published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).