Buying EN Standards Online: A Complete Guide

EN standards cover everything from electrical safety and substances, to mechanical toy safety. It’s often necessary that importers and manufacturers carefully study the technical aspects of all relevant EN standards even at the early stages of product development. That said, EN standards are generally not available for free – but must be purchased online.

Further, EN standards can often be purchased both digitally (PDF file) or as a physical hardcopy.

In this guide, we list several online stores where you can buy EN standards covering electronics, toys, textiles, medical devices, machinery, and many other product categories.

What are EN standards?

EN standards are unified standards for products, services, testing procedures, or systems recognized by the European Union – as well as many other countries and institutions in the world. The scope of EN standards is broad.

Here are some example of covered categories of products:

• Electronic and electrical products
• Children’s toys and products
• Cosmetic and personal care products
• Garments and textiles
• Furniture and beddings

The design and development of EN standards are open to all interested parties through a transparent, and consensual process. With that being said, EN standards are usually developed by experts, technicians, and academics from different industry organizations.

Types of EN Standards

EN standards might cover different requirements and aspects, such as the following:

a. Electrical safety (e.g. EN 62368-1: Audio/video, information, and communication technology equipment ‑ Safety requirements)

b. Electromagnetic compatibility (e.g. EN 55014: Electromagnetic compatibility requirements for household appliances)

c. Mechanical safety (e.g. EN 71-1: Safety of toys – Mechanical and physical properties)

d. Flammability (e.g. EN 71-2: Safety of toys – Flammability)

e. Substances restrictions (e.g. EN 71-3: Safety of toys – Migration of certain elements)

f. Labelling requirements (e.g. EN 980: Symbols for use in the labeling of medical devices)

Submitted EN standards are reviewed and, if accepted, ratified by one of the three European Standardisation Organisations:

• CEN
• CENELEC
• ETSI

CEN

The CEN, or European Committee for Standardization, was founded in 1961 as a European Union-approved organization and is responsible for the ratification of EN standards. Currently, the National Standardization Bodies of 34 European countries are members of the CEN.

CENELEC

The CENELEC, or European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization, was founded in 1973 and is responsible for the development of technical standards for electrical engineering at the EU level.

The CENELEC collaborates with the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) to establish standards for electrical products and systems.

ETSI

The ETSI, short for European Telecommunications Standards Institute, was founded in 1988, approved by the EU as the standardization body for Information and Communication Technologies for domestic and public domains.

How much do EN standards cost?

The electronic or hard copy of EN standards can be purchased in various online stores. Each EN standard item and part is charged differently, depending on the researching and developing cost, and complexity of the standard. Also, hard copies are generally 10-20% more expensive than PDF versions.

Some stores provide discounts for members or during periodical promotion campaigns. Besides that, the prices might vary according to the store of your choice.

Example: EN 71-1:2018

Take the English language version of EN 71-1:2018 in PDF format as an example. We found the following prices:

a. British Standard Institute (BSI): £350 (US$482)

b. German Institute for Standardisation (DIN): €390.9 (US$459)

c. French Standardization Association (AFNOR): €361.9 (US$425)

Other Examples

Let’s also compare the prices of different standards, taking BSI’s webstore as an example:

Standard	Title	Regular price	Link
EN 71-1	Safety of toys – Mechanical And Physical Properties	£350 / €410 / US$482	Click here
EN 71-3	Safety of toys – Migration of certain elements	£260 / €328 / US$358	Click here
EN 62368-1	Audio/video, information and communication technology equipment – Safety requirements	£456 / €534 / US$628	Click here
EN 14350	Child Care Articles. Drinking Equipment	£280 / €328 / US$385	Click here

Member discounts

Note that BSI, like other stores, often offers significant member discounts. For example, BS EN 71-1 is sold for £175 to members – while non-members pay their regular price of £350.

Where can I purchase EN standards?

Neither CEN, CENELEC or ETSI sells EN standards. Instead, EN standards can be purchased from the official websites of national standardization bodies or private online stores. Here the lists of national standardization bodies that sell EN standards:

• CEN Members
• CENELEC National Committees
• CENELEC Affiliates
• Selected organizations such as Ansi.org

Some member states have specific standardization bodies for electrical and electronic products, such as Germany, Italy, and Sweden.

Practically speaking, this means that some standards might only be available for sales on either the website of the CEN Member – for non-electronics products – or the website of the CENELEC National Committee, for electronics products.

For other member states, such as France, Spain, and Ireland, the same standardization body is a member of both CEN and CENELEC.

Shop.bsigroup.com (UK)

Shop.bsigroup.com is powered by the British Standard Institution, which is the national standard body of the United Kingdom. The BSI shop sells EN standards, ISO standards, BSI standards, IEC standards, and ASTM standards, covering the product scope of toys, electronics, furniture, and other products.

Customers can buy standards in PDF or hardcopy format after registering as a member of the BSI Group. According to the current BSI shop policy, members enjoy 50% discounts.

Other than published standards, customers can buy books, CDs, and BSI software related to product safety.

Summary

• Payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay
• Member discounts: Yes (50%)
• Website: Link

HQ Address: 389 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 4AL, the United Kingdom

Beuth.de (Germany)

The German Institute for Standardisation (DIN) is the German national organization for standardization. The history of DIN can be traced back to the early 20th century in Berlin. DIN develops and maintains more than 30,000 standards nowadays, covering almost every consumer, industrial product, and system.

DIN publishes and provides standards through its subsidiary company, Beuth Verlag, which include:

• EN standards
• DIN German standards
• GB Chinese standards
• ASTM standards
• ASME standards
• ISO standards
• IEC standards
• IEEE standards

Summary

• Payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
• Member discounts: Not mentioned
• Website: Link

HQ Address: Saatwinkler Damm 42/43, 13627, Berlin, Germany

Afnor.org (France)

AFNOR (French Standardization Association) is the national standardization institution that engages in activities of publishing standards, certification, training, and education through other partner national institutes such as the following:

• COFRAC (French Accreditation Committee)
• CTI (Center Network industrial technology)
• LNE (Laboratoire National Metrology and Testing)

AFNOR sells standards, normative documents, and education books about product safety through the Afnor Store, including the following

• EN standards
• CEN Technical Reports
• NF French standards
• ISO standards
• IEC standards
• DIN German standards
• BSI British standards
• IEEE American standards
• SAE American standards
• JSA Japanese standards

AFNOR provides promotional discounts for certain items from time to time. Registered customers can receive promotional information through emails, newsletters, and post subscriptions.

Summary

• Payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, Eurocard, Cheque
• Member discounts: No (promotional discount only)
• Website: Link

HQ Address: 11 Rue Francis de Pressensé, 93210 Saint-Denis, France

Anero.com (Spain)

Founded in 1935, UNE (Spanish Association for Standardisation) is the only standardization body in Spain. ANERO, which is the Spanish Association for Standardization and Certification, was founded in 1986 as the subsidiary private company of the UNE, is responsible for the UNE Spanish standards’ development, certification, and accreditation.

ANERO provides an extensive scope of EN standards and UNE Spanish standards on its official website, available in both PDF and hardcopy formats, covering electronics, medical devices, health care systems, food, information technology, and other areas.

Other than UNE Spanish standards, other international standards available on ANERO include:

• EN standards
• ISO standards
• IEC standards
• SAE standards
• ASTM standards
• IEEE standards
• NF French standards
• BSI British standards
• German DIN standards

Summary

• Payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, Paypal, Bank transfer
• Member discounts: Not mentioned
• Website: Link

HQ Address: C/ Génova, 6. 28004, Madrid, Spain

Store.uni.com (Italy)

The Italian National Unification (UNI) is the national standardization body of Italy. Other than electrical and engineering products and systems, which are managed by the Ceinorme, the UNI is responsible for all the standardization activities.

UNI store sells the following list of standards:

• EN standards
• UNI Italian standards
• ISO standards
• CEN Technical Reports

Summary

• Payment methods: Not mentioned
• Member discounts: Yes
• Website: Link

HQ Address: Via Sannio 2 Milano, 20137, Italy

Sis.se (Sweden)

The Swedish Institute for Standards (SIS) was founded in 1922 and is now representing Sweden being a member of CEN. SIS is responsible for developing standards for consumer products and systems, including construction, healthcare, and engineering.

The following standards are available in electronic and physical format in the SIS web store:

• EN standards
• ISO standards
• IEC standards
• IEEE standards
• SAE standards
• ASTM standards
• BSI British standards
• DIN German standards

Summary

• Payment methods: Not mentioned
• Member discounts: Not mentioned
• Website: Link

HQ Address: Box 45443, SE-104 31 Stockholm, Sweden

Nen.nl (The Netherlands)

The NEN is the Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute, whose history can trace back to the beginning of the 20th century. Currently, the NEN manages over 31,000 standards, including EN standards, NEN Dutch standards, ISO standards, and IEC standards, covering a broad range of themes, such as chemical safety, product flammability, durability, specification standardization, and other aspects.

Customers can download EN standards through the webpage or mobile phone application called NEN Connect in Dutch or English.

The page also explains the status of the standards (i.e. current, withdrawn, superseded) and whether the standards are mandatory by specific legislation or voluntary.

Summary

• Payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, Paypal
• Member discounts: Not mentioned
• Website: Link

HQ Address: Vlinderweg 6, NL-2623 AX DELFT, The Netherlands

Shop.standards.ie (Ireland)

The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is the national standardization body of Ireland, which undertakes the responsibility of research, consultation, evaluation, regulatory control, testing, certification, and accreditation related to the standardization of product, system, management, and public services.

Customers can purchase national and international standards from the online store of NSAI. These standards include the following:

• EN standards
• I.S. Ireland standards
• S.R. Ireland standards
• ASTM standards
• IEC standards
• IEEE standards
• DIN German standards
• AS/NZS standards

NSAI allows users to browse and download the PDF version and hardcopy of the EN standards according to the publication type, including amendment, draft, technical report, annex, and notice. Users can also select EN standards based on the publication status, such as current, canceled, superseded, and withdrawn.

Summary

• Payment methods: Credit card, bank transfer
• Member discounts: No (promotional discount)
• Website: Link

HQ Address: 1 Swift Square, Northwood, Santry, Dublin 9, D09 A0E4, Ireland

Webstore.ansi.org (United States)

The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that develops voluntary standards for products, services, systems in the United States. At the web store of ANSI, customers can purchase ANSI standards and other US standards issued by domestic institutes, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL).

ANSI also provides physical and electronic copies of EN standards for companies looking to enter the EU market. The EN standards available on ANSI web store cover several industries, including the following:

a. Toys (e.g. EN 71-Safety of Toys)

b. Child care products (e.g. EN 716-Safety of cots)

c. Electronics (e.g. EN 61000-EMC testing methods)

d. Machinery (e.g. EN 81-Safety of lifts)

e. Personal protective equipment (e.g. EN 13595-Protective clothing requirements for motorcycle riders)

f. Wooden products (e.g. EN 14081-Timber test methods)

g. Medical devices (e.g. EN 62353-Test methods for medical electrical equipment)

Other than EN standards, ANSI web store also sells other standards, such as:

• ISO standards
• IEC standards
• IEEE standards
• UL standards
• DIN German standards
• BSI British standards
• SIS Swedish standards
• AS/NZS standards

The EN standards available on ANSI cover industries of toys and children’s products, electronic and electrical products, medical devices, construction materials, and other categories.

Summary

• Payment methods: Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover Card, cheque
• Member discounts: Yes
• Website: Link

HQ Address: 1899 L Street, NW, 11th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, United States