Brussels proposes free access to harmonised standards for boatbuilders
On 6 October 2026 the European Commission proposed a new regulation on European standardisation. Harmonised standards referenced in EU law are to become free to access, which matters most for the Recreational Craft Directive.
Law NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH
The European Commission proposed on 6 October 2026 to overhaul the European standardisation system. The new regulation would replace Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, the legal basis of the system since 2012. It introduces clearer deadlines for standards the Commission requests, stronger obligations to give small and medium sized companies a real voice, and free access to standards developed under EU law through dedicated repositories, codifying recent rulings of the European Court of Justice.
Speed is the other theme. The Commission estimates that the measures would cut the average time needed to develop a standard from six years to four. Interim deliverables would let manufacturers support conformity before a full standard exists, and other standard development organisations could contribute alongside CEN, CENELEC and ETSI where needs are urgent or highly specialised.
European Boating Industry, the trade association for the sector in Europe, welcomed the proposal on 12 October 2026. In its reading, all harmonised standards referenced in EU legislation would be made freely accessible online. That matters to boatbuilders and equipment suppliers because these standards are how they demonstrate compliance with the Recreational Craft Directive. The association also notes that the proposal keeps the principle of aligning with ISO standards first, and that small firms should be able to take part in standardisation free of charge or at reduced cost.
Nothing is decided yet. The European Parliament and the Council will now examine the proposal before it can be adopted and enter into force. Neither source gives a timetable.
What this means for owners
For owners the proposal is about access to information rather than about cover. Today, anyone who wants to check how a gas installation, an electrical system or a boarding ladder should be built usually has to buy the standard. If harmonised standards become free to read, owners and surveyors can check more easily after a refit or a claim whether the boat still matches the standards behind its CE marking. A sensible step now is to keep the builder's declaration of conformity and the owner's manual with the ship's papers, since both name the standards applied. This affects every recreational craft placed on the EU market under the Recreational Craft Directive, sailing yachts, motorboats, catamarans and inflatables alike, and the yards that build them.
Our view as NAMMERT, not part of the news. Your own policy wording decides.
Where this comes from
- Source: Europäische Kommission: Commission adopts proposal to accelerate standards development and improve EU competitiveness, IP/26/2070 (06.10.2026)
- Source: European Boating Industry: Making EU standards faster, simpler and reducing costs: EBI welcomes major changes (12.10.2026)
The text is our own; the sources supplied the facts and figures, not the wording.
