Use outside EU/EFTA Member States

The use of common or technically aligned standards supports the international exchange of goods and services, by increasing interoperability at global level. There is a considerable interest in the use of EN Eurocodes outside EU/EFTA by countries:

• whose National Standards are based on European National Standards that will soon be withdrawn;
• who want to update their National Standards based on technically advanced codes;
• who are interested in trading with the European Union and EFTA Member States.

The EN Eurocodes may be used for the above purposes, because they are:

• a complete set of design standards that cover in a comprehensive manner all principal construction materials, all major fields of structural engineering and a wide range of types of structures and products;
• the most up-to-date codes of practice;
• flexible, offering the possibility for each country to adapt the Eurocodes to their specific conditions regarding climate, seismic risk, traditions, etc. through the Nationally Determined Parameters. Nationally Determined Parameters can also be adapted to the national approach and setup regarding risk and safety factors.

The Joint Research Centre collects, assesses and disseminates up-to-date information on the international status of Eurocodes adoption in partnership with relevant Directorates-General of the European Commission, TAIEX , CEN, National Standardization Bodies and relevant contact points at national level. The JRC Europe Media Monitor (EMM) tool also facilitates the identification of news relevant to the Eurocodes. Information collected by the JRC includes expression of interest on the Eurocodes by third countries, planned and performed dissemination activities, needs and implementation progress in countries of interest.

The status of worldwide interest in the Eurocodes is visualised in the Eurocodes map. The Joint Research Centre has developed the map and updates it based on the information collected.

Click and pan to navigate the map. Country information appears at mouse hovering. With the side bar commands, you can centre back the map, display the colour captions, zoom in and out, view in full screen and print the map.

CEN and its members own the copyright exploitation rights of all CEN deliverables. A clear distinction is made within the CEN rules between two types of use:

• adoption of ENs as National Standards of the country concerned (and the withdrawal of any other National Standards that conflict with them), or
• publication of the ENs without adoption.

CEN supports any actions aimed at disseminating the results of its work and encourages the adoption of European Standards as National Standards in countries outside the CEN area. All use of European Standards is subject to an agreement signed by CEN and the country that wishes to use the standards. CEN/CENELEC Guide 10 establishes the agreed policy for the distribution and sales of CEN/CENELEC publications. CEN/CENELEC Guide 12 describes the concept of affiliation with CEN and CENELEC and CEN/CENELEC Guide 13 presents the concept of a Companion Standardization Body. Lastly, CEN/CENELEC Guide 30 is a reference document on Standards and Regulation aimed primarily at public authority policy makers.

The EU can provide financial and technical assistance towards the implementation of the reforms necessary for the approximation of regulations. Such cooperation with partner countries can be achieved through:

• increasing the sharing of European knowledge and expertise in standardisation through joint projects and initiatives;
• assistance from European institutes and organisations for preparation of training courses and material (e.g. design aids and tools) for continuing professional development aimed at engineers and students;
• networking on research and further development of standards for structural design.

The EU-ASEAN Eurocodes Dialogue

Under the European Commission's E-READI instrument, the Eurocodes dialogue aims to raise awareness and share best practices in ASEAN countries on the Eurocodes – their concept, design philosophy, benefits of use and possibilities for implementation.

Find out more on the EU-ASEAN Eurocodes Dialogue

The implementation of Eurocodes in the Western Balkans

The JRC has offered specialised workshops and provided scientific and technical support to non-EU Balkan region for the adoption and implementation of the Eurocodes since 2013. The first cycle of activities, under the umbrella of the former JRC Enlargement and Integration Action (E&IA) 2013 – 2016, focused on assessing the state and specific needs for the adoption of the Eurocodes in the Balkan region. A second cycle addressing the roadmap for the Eurocodes implementation in the Balkan region was designed for the period 2018-2022 in the framework of JRC’s Enlargement and Integration Action.

Find out more on the implementation of Eurocodes in the Western Balkans [link to page under construction]

TAIEX

TAIEX is the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument of the European Commission. TAIEX supports public administrations with regard to the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation as well as facilitating the sharing of EU best practices.

JRC has supported TAIEX related events (workshops organization, expert study visits etc.) and relevant information have been published in the Eurocodes website.

Details and contacts

Click on the above link to find out whom to contact for information on the adoption of the Eurocodes in non-EU/EFTA countries