Disclaimer
The Rolling Plan for ICT standardisation is a working document published by the European Commission, taking into account the inputs from the expert group “European Multi-Stakeholder Platform on ICT Standardisation”. It is complementary to the Annual Union Work-Programme, formal document adopted by the Commission that identifies the strategic priorities of standardisation.
Introduction
The Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation provides a unique bridge between EU policies, implementation and standardisation activities concerning information and communication technologies (ICT). This helps to increase convergence of standards makers’ efforts towards achieving EU policy goals. This document is the result of an annual dialogue involving a wide-range of interested parties as represented by the European multi-stakeholder platform on ICT standardisation (MSP). The Rolling Plan focuses on actions that can support EU policies and implementation and does not claim to be as complete as the work programmes of the different standardisation bodies.
Standardisation actions identified in this document to support EU policies and their implementation are complementary to other instruments, in particular the Annual Union Work Programme (AUWP). The Rolling Plan attempts to list all known areas where ICT standardisation could support EU policy objectives. It also details the requirements for ICT standardisation, translates them into actions and provides a follow-up mechanism for the actions.
The Rolling Plan 2026 identifies an estimated 260 actions grouped into 40 technological or application domains under foundational drivers and four thematic areas: key enablers, societal challenges, innovation for the digital single market and sustainable growth. Particular prominence is given to two horizontal “foundational drivers” under section 3.0, namely updated chapters on data economy and cybersecurity. These are all technology areas for standardisation that cut across the spectrum of standards-making, and may need to be referenced by many, if not most, specific activities. Challenges arise at every step of digitalisation and policy makers need to be fully aware that ICT standardisation is the tool to tackle them effectively.
What’s new in the 2026 Edition?
As every year, the European Commission and the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) reviewed and updated all chapters of the Rolling Plan. The updates in each chapter include new developments on policy initiatives and related objectives (provided in the parts A.1, A.2, and A.3 of each chapter), and the latest information on completed and ongoing standardisation work related to the respective topic area (parts C of each chapter). The actions (part B) in each chapter are updated and completed actions removed. The driver for refreshing the chapters is to ensure they continue to relate to the European Standardisation Strategy, support EU strategic objectives, and associate EU strategic objectives with global ICT standardisation activities.
As a result, the 2026 edition includes a number of substantial revisions. There are three new chapters added Trusted Secure Chips (3.1.12), Internet (3.1.13) and Trust in Media (3.2.9), and the chapter on e-Privacy (3.2.10) was moved into section 3.2 (societal challenges). The chapters on Data Economy (3.0.1) and Data Interoperability (3.1.3) were extensively revised and aligned with progress on the EU Data . The chapter on Electronic Identification and trust services including e-signatures (3.1.5) has been extensively revised in line with the new . Other chapters that underwent substantial revisions were Cybersecurity / Network and Information Security (3.0.2), eProcurement (3.3.1), eInvoicing (3.3.2) and Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds (3.3.7).
What are the trends?
The Rolling Plan is reviewed and updated each year. The changes from one year to the next occur mostly in specific chapters, but one can also discern wider trends over the years.
Digitalisation in Europe must fully respect European fundamental rights and values. The Rolling Plan reflects this policy by introducing a chapter Foundational drivers in 2022 which focuses on Cybersecurity and, more broadly, on the network and information security and Data economy.
The focus on societal values is also visible in the introduction of the topic Safety, transparency, due process online in 2021, covering standards for ensuring a safe online environment and the respect of fundamental rights online. And as part of the effort to support the Green Deal, the Rolling Plan includes chapters on standardisation for ICT environmental impact and for the Circular economy as of 2021. In 2024, Circular economy has been renamed to Circular economy and sustainability.
Standards for Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been an important topic in the Rolling Plan for more than five years. The information in the Rolling Plan has been instrumental in the publication of the Standardisation Request by the European Commission issued in support of the AI Act, published in 2023 and 2024 respectively. As a result, we will continue to see increased activity on standardisation for AI in the years to come, which will be reflected in the Rolling Plan.
Standardisation for the Data economy and Data interoperability is gaining traction. The Data Act and in general the Data are driving forces behind this trend, and the European economy as a whole increasingly relies on the uninhibited flow and exchange of data. The information in the Rolling Plan on Data Economy informed the Standardisation Request published in 2025 by the European Commission, in support of the which started this year to be implemented across EU. The related standardisation activities will be reflected into the Rolling Plan.
An area receiving increasing attention by mainstream standards developers is accessibility, critical to allow equal distribution of the benefits of technological advancement in society. The European Accessibility Act (EAA requires a high level of accessibility to be ensured in a very large range of ICT related products and services. Dedicated standardisation activities have been conducted in advance of the EAA gradually entering into force, and is mainly referenced in chapter 3.1.8. Accessibility aspects will be addressed where possible on a design-for-all basis and will need to be taken into account in standardisation work under many other chapters of the Rolling Plan.
The Rolling Plan is in line with technology developments. The 2023 edition of the Rolling Plan looked beyond 5G and addressed standardisation to facilitate the transition to 6G. From 2021, the chapter on Cloud computing also takes into account standardisation for edge computing. Also from 2021, the Rolling Plan includes a chapter on standardisation for U-Space including the European traffic control space for drones. Plus, Intelligent transport systems received particular attention in 2024.
In the years to come we will continue to see the Rolling Plan focus increasingly on supporting EU strategic objectives. Following the standardisation request for the AI Act and the Data Act, more standardisation requests could be needed to support the implementation of current and future European digital regulations. This may include standardisation actions to enable implementation of inter alia the NIS2 Directive, Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, Cyber Resilience Act and future acts such as the Quantum , Digital Networks Act or Cloud and AI Development Act. In addition, 6G and Digital twins will receive increased attention in future editions of the Rolling Plan.
EU policy areas supported by ICT standardisation
ICT standardisation can support European policies. Together with the MSP, the Commission services have identified the following clusters of topics. Each activity within the topic is set out in the same way: with an outline of the policy objectives, the legal base, (new or ongoing) standardisation actions, and an overview of the situation.
This rolling plan does not claim completeness or seek to be exhaustive; it focuses on those activities with a link to EU policy. The reader must rely on standardisation-related websites for information on other activities.
| The Commission would like to thank all members of the European multi-stakeholder platform on ICT Standardisation for their active collaboration and for making this document possible: the EU Member States, EEA Countries, standards developing organisations (CEN, CENELEC, Ecma International, ETSI, GS1, IEC, IEEE, IETF/IAB, ISO, ITU, OASIS, UN/CEFACT, W3C/ERCIM), associations representing industry, open-source community and R&I stakeholders (AIOTI, Business Europe, Connect Europe, Digital Europe, ECIS, ECSO, EIT Digital, Fraunhofer-EARTO, Free ICT Europe, Linux Foundation Europe, OFE, Orgalim, QuiC) and associations representing SMEs and other societal stakeholders (ANEC, ECOS, EDF, European Digital SME Alliance, SBS). |
About the Rolling Plan
EU policies supported by ICT standardisation
FOUNDATIONAL DRIVERS
Cybersecurity / network and information security
KEY ENABLERS
Electronic identification and trust services including e-signatures
e-Infrastructures for data and computing intensive science and the European Open Science Cloud
Broadband infrastructure mapping
Accessibility of ICT products and services
European Global Navigation Satellite System (EGNSS)
SOCIETAL CHALLENGES
Digital health, healthy living and ageing
Safety, transparency and due process online
Emergency communications and public warning systems
INNOVATION FOR THE DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET
e-Procurement – pre- and post award
Preservation of digital cinema
Fintech and Regtech Standardisation
Blockchain and Distributed Digital Ledger Technologies
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
Smart grids and smart metering
Smart and sustainable cities and communities
European Electronic Toll Service (EETS)
Digitisation of European Industry
Robotics and autonomous systems
Construction – building information modelling
Water Management Digitalisation
Circular economy and sustainability
Horizontal Building Blocks
Annex I – List of Member States’ Work Plans and Strategies
Annex II – List of Links to Standards Bodies’ Web Sites With Up-to-date Information on Ongoing Work
