Brussels – 20 June 2012

The European Standards Organisations – CEN, CENELEC and ETSI – are engaged in an ongoing dialogue with partners around the world, in order to share knowledge and coordinate the development of standards that are needed to accelerate the deployment of the next generation of electricity networks, known as ‘Smart Grids'. The three organisations hosted an international meeting in Brussels on 18 and 19 June, with the participation of high-level delegations from Brazil, China, Japan, Korea and the USA.

The three European Standards Organisations (ESOs) – CEN (European Committee for Standardization), CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) and ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) – have set up a Smart Grid Coordination Group (SG-CG), which is working to develop standards for the next generation of electricity networks, known as ‘Smart Grids'.  This work is being carried out in the framework of a mandate issued by the European Commission, and with the active involvement of experts from the energy and ICT industries.

Wishing to share knowledge and coordinate their efforts with those responsible for relevant standards in major markets around the world, the ESOs took the initiative to convene a high-level meeting at the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre in Brussels on 18 and 19 June.  The CEN-CENELEC-ETSI Smart Grid International Plenary was attended by delegations from Brazil, China, Japan, Korea and the USA, as well as representatives of the European Commission (DG Energy) and international organisations including the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Smart Grids Action Network (ISGAN), the International Telecommunication Union Standardization Sector (ITU-T), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).  Smart Grid specialists from national standards organisations and representatives of key European industry associations and federations also took part in the two-day meeting.

Speaking in Brussels, Ralph Sporer, Chair of the Smart Grid Coordination Group (SG-CG), said: "Standards are essential to help Smart Grids achieve their potential. We are confident that collaboration on standardization work in this important and innovative sector will contribute to achieving energy policy targets in Europe and around the world." 

Elena Santiago Cid, Director General of CEN and CENELEC, said: "This has been a very successful event, with the participation of some 100 delegates from across Europe and around the world. As European Standards Organisations, we will continue to work with our international partners and share knowledge regarding Smart Grid technologies, which are essential for enabling the shift towards a cleaner, greener and more sustainable economy."
 
Luis Jorge Romero, Director General of ETSI, said: "Smart Grids demonstrate that applying ICT techniques to existing industries can lead to transformational change for the benefit of society. The ESOs are ready to develop the ICT standards that are needed to enable similar changes in other industries."

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Notes for Editors 
CEN (European Committee for Standardization) and CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) are officially recognised organisations responsible for developing and defining standards at European level. These standards set out specifications and procedures in relation to a wide range of products and services.
The members of CEN and CENELEC are the National Standards Bodies and National Electrotechnical Committees of 32 European countries including all of the EU member states plus Croatia, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. European Standards (ENs) approved by CEN and CENELEC are accepted and recognised in all of these countries.
CEN and CENELEC also work to promote the international harmonization of standards in the framework of technical cooperation agreements with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). In order to promote mutual understanding and cooperation with international partners, CEN and CENELEC have agreed Memoranda of Understanding with a number of regional standardization bodies, and have also signed Cooperation Agreements with National Standards Bodies in certain countries of major economic importance.
For more information, please see: www.cencenelec.eu

ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) produces globally-applicable standards for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, aeronautical, broadcast and internet technologies and is officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organization. ETSI is an independent, not-for-profit association whose more than 700 member companies and organizations, drawn from 62 countries across 5 continents worldwide, determine its work programme and participate directly in its work.
For further information, please visit: www.etsi.org

Media contact:
Ben Carlin, Communication Unit, CEN-CENELEC Management Centre
T: +32 2 550 08 32 | bcarlin@cencenelec.eu

Ultan Mulligan, Events & Communications,  ETSI
T: +33 4 92944388 | ultan.mulligan@etsi.org