Understanding standards

Standards, Specifications and Reports

ETSI is a key player on the international standards scene and publishes more than 2 500 standards every year. These include the standards that enable key global technologies such as GSM^TM, 3G, 4G, 5G, DECT^TM, and many more ICT standards success stories.

ETSI standards are available for download in PDF free of charge (the Word version is password protected and accessible for a specific target audience only).

ETSI produces specifications, standards, reports and guides, each with its own purpose.

Types of standards

European Standard (EN)

European Standard (EN) – Used when the document is intended to meet needs specific to Europe and requires transposition into national standards, or when the drafting of the document is required under a standardisation request from the European Commission (EC)/European Free Trade Association (EFTA). An EN is drafted by a Technical Committee and approved by ETSI’s European National Standards Organisations.
- Harmonised Standards
  Harmonised Standards are ENs with a special status. We produce them in response to an EC standardisation request. They provide the technical detail necessary to achieve the ‘essential requirements’ of an EC Directive. They are thus key enablers of the European Single Market. We produced and continue to produce numerous Harmonised Standards in support of several EC mandates and policies.

European standardisation deliverables

European standardisation deliverables take various forms—such as Technical Specifications, Technical Reports, ETSI Standards, ETSI Guides, or Special Reports. They are developed in response to Standardisation Requests to support European legislation and policies, in line with the amended Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, and aim to ensure consistency and interoperability across Europe.

ETSI Standard (ES)

ETSI Standard (ES) – Used when the document contains technical requirements. An ES is submitted to the whole ETSI membership for approval.

ETSI Guide (EG)

ETSI Guide (EG) – Used for guidance to ETSI in general on the handling of specific technical standardisation activities. It is submitted to the whole ETSI membership for approval.

ETSI Technical Specification (TS)

ETSI Technical Specification (TS) – Used when the document contains technical requirements and it is important that it is available for use quickly. A TS is approved by the Technical Committee that drafted it.

ETSI Technical Report (TR)

ETSI Technical Report (TR) – Used when the document contains explanatory material. A TR is approved by the Technical Committee that drafted it.

ETSI Special Report (SR)

ETSI Special Report (SR) – Used for various purposes, including to make information publicly available for reference. An SR is approved by the Technical Committee which produced it.

ETSI Group Specification (GS)

ETSI Group Specification (GS) – Provides technical requirements or explanatory material or both. Produced and approved within our Industry Specification Groups (ISGs).

ETSI Group Report (GR)

ETSI Group Report (GR) – An ETSI deliverable, containing only informative elements, approved for publication by an Industry Specification Group.

Publicly available specifications

Our Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) process enables an ETSI partner to submit one or more of its Publicly Available Specifications for adoption by ETSI. It will then become an ETSI Technical Specification (TS) or ETSI Technical Report (TR). For more information please read about PASs in our Partnerships section.

Why Standards Matter

Standards are tools that play a critical role in helping build large, stable, unified markets.

Technology standardisation delivers benefits for all participants:

Vendors enjoy broader market access by developing standardised products. They can address a wider pool of potential purchasers while raising awareness of technical developments and initiatives. Standardised products also afford valuable economies of scale, reducing development costs and strengthening vendors’ margins.

Purchasers and users reap the benefits of greater market competition that raises product quality and drives down costs. Standardised solutions encourage quality, efficiency and interoperability, preventing purchasers from being “locked in” to equipment from a single supplier.

Governments benefit from developing standards that embody public policy. Protecting the interests of businesses and users, standards support wider government initiatives such as the European Union’s Single Market policy.

Investors are attracted to the possibility of higher gains and reduced risks, encouraging innovation and stimulating a fertile business environment.

Consumers benefit from increased choice. Standards provide the foundation for new features and options, contributing to the enhancement of our daily lives. Mass production based on standards provides a greater variety of accessible products to consumers.

What is a Standard?

The World Trade Organisation defines a standard as “a technical specification, approved by a recognised standardising body, for repeated or continuous application, with which compliance is not mandatory”.

Standards are particularly significant in the domain of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), ETSI’s area of competence.

Standards address needs for interconnection and interoperability. These are particularly important for open markets, where users can mix and match equipment and services, while suppliers can benefit from economies of scale.
Standards are important for ensuring safety, reliability and environmental care.
Standards are referenced by regulators and legislators for protecting user and business interests, and in support of government policies.

Standards bring numerous benefits to business and society, with many ETSI standards being used worldwide. As a recognised European Standardisation Organisation, ETSI encourages global adoption of its standards where appropriate.

European law recognises three different categories of standard:

International standard
Adopted by an international standardisation organisation
European standard
Adopted by a European standardisation body
National standard
Adopted by a national standardisation body and made available to the public.

The Power of Standards

Finger pointing to a screen that reads "Standards"

We rely on standards in virtually every aspect of our daily lives – including communications, media, healthcare, food, transport, construction, smart communities, public safety, energy and more.

A prime example of the power of standardisation is the GSMTM mobile communication system. With its successors (3G, 4G, 5G and soon 6G), GSM has become a truly global phenomenon, with ETSI – as a founding partner in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) playing a leading role in its continuing success. Originally envisaged as a solution for Europe, the GSM family of technologies have been deployed worldwide with billions of users. As a result, travellers can communicate and use familiar services in every corner of the world – all thanks to standardisation.

ETSI can point to many other standardisation success stories, with examples including smart cards, DECTTM, TETRA, Short Range Radio, medical implants and electronic signatures.

In a world without standards:

Products might not work as expected, or be of inferior quality.

Products might be incompatible with other equipment, or may not connect with them.

Non-standardised products may endanger users’ safety and wellbeing.

Limiting customers to one manufacturer or supplier leads to reduced choice and higher costs when extending their original purchases.

Manufacturers would be obliged to develop their own individual solutions, limiting opportunity to compete with others.

Standards for the Single Market

The creation of a European Single Market is a central policy of the European Union

One of the key mechanisms to turn this political ambition into practical action is standardisation. Harmonised Standards produced by ETSI, for example, contribute to single market initiatives by proposing commonly-agreed technical solutions that lead to harmonisation.

ETSI produces a wide range of Harmonised Standards to support European Directives, including those related to:

The Radio Equipment Directive
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
Access to emergency services.

We also contribute to safety standards produced by ETSI’s peer European Standardisation Organisation, CENELEC.

A principle of the New Legislative Framework is that Member States of the European Union must allow a product to be placed on the market and used in their territories, if it complies with requirements of the relevant Directives and Regulations. Harmonised Standards enable manufacturers, suppliers, networks operators and others to prove that their products are compliant, allowing them to be placed on EU and EEA market without further administrative procedures.

ETSI also supports the European Commission’s Single European Sky (SES) air traffic management initiative. We do this by preparing Community Specifications for the civil aviation sector, working in co-operation with EUROCAE, the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment.