This page provides a comprehensive overview of drafting deliverables using the Online Standard Development (OSD) tool and centralizes essential information to help users navigate the OSD.

• Scope
• What changes?
• Differences with ISO
• Getting started
• Opting out
• Roles & Permissions
• Drafting: Document structure and elements
• Commenting during ballots
• Features
• Training & recordings
• Support
• FAQ

1. WHAT IS OSD?

The Online Standards Development (OSD) platform (developed by ISO and IEC) is a Word-like tool based on a XML-online-editor that allows technical bodies to draft their project deliverables.

In October 2025, CEN Technical Board took the decision (BT 056/2025) to set OSD as the default tool to draft in-scope deliverables for all new projects created as from 2026-07-01.

2. SCOPE OF DELIVERABLES

2.1 In-scope:

• Project (WI) must exist and be in a stage prior to the submission of the first procedure to CCMC (prior 30.99), and have a drafting body assigned
• Homegrown EN
• TS
• TR
• Vienna Agreement with ISO lead (set-up of online document to be requested on ISO’ side, see Activate and inactivate an online document)

2.2 Out of scope:

• Harmonized EN (analysis ongoing – expected in November 2026)
• CWA (analysis ongoing – expected in July 2026)
• 2^nd procedures (analysis ongoing – expected in July 2026)
• Vienna Agreement with CEN lead (analysis to start)
• Adoptions of ISO standards (analysis ongoing, part of OSD National Project lead by ISO)
• Amendments (analysis ongoing, lead by IEC)
• Corrigenda (tbd)
• French or German reference versions (tbd)
• Terminology (trilingual) standards (tbd)
• Projects for which there is a specific document structure or exceptions from the rules (e.g. CEN/TC 54)

3. WHAT CHANGES?

• Drafting Environment: The OSD introduces a web-based interface for drafting standards, replacing traditional offline document editing. This allows for real-time collaboration, easier version control, and integrated review workflows.
• Templates and Formatting: OSD provides standardized template and formatting tools to ensure deliverables follow CEN Internal Regulations.
• Content Quality Checks: Built-in validation features check for compliance with structural and editorial requirements, reducing errors and streamlining submission.
• Collaboration Features: Multiple contributors can work simultaneously, with comment, suggestion, and approval functionalities.
• Figure files requirements: for deliverables drafted in OSD (only), the new requirements are as follows:
  • .png or .svg
  • 300 DPI resolution
• Submissions: Submission Interface has been adapted for deliverables drafted in OSD (See Submission Guide). There is no need to provide the following files:
  • Revisable format (Word)
  • Non-revisable format (PDF)
  • Individual figure files
  • Resolution comments tables (table of comments of previous stage with the replies from the TC)

 4. WHAT DOESN'T CHANGE?

• Content Requirements: The technical content, structure, and required elements of deliverables remain the responsibility of the developing body (see Preparation and Submission of files)
• Approval Processes: The steps for review, approval, and publication are unchanged; OSD simply supports these processes in a digital environment.
• Roles and Responsibilities: User roles and their responsibilities remain consistent with current rules, though they are now enforced since they are directly driven from the Global Directory.
  
  

5. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES WITH ISO?

All the functionalities of the tool are the same. There are, however, some differences compared to ISO, notably:

• How to request the set-up of an OSD document
  • CEN: during the creation/activation of a WI or via an Online Form (see 6. How to get started?)
  • ISO: Activate and inactivate an online document
• Handling of figure files:
  • CEN: upload figure files directly within the document, no metadata
  • ISO: upload figure files through Asset Management System, including metadata
• Some roles and permissions (following CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations)
  • Project Leader role doesn’t exist in CEN Global Directory (see 8. Roles and permissions)
  • In CEN, except for Officer roles, roles do not grant the same accesses if assigned at TC or WG level
  • Visibility of comments from all stages in CEN
• Ballot type CD/WD:
  • In CEN, the 1st Working Draft (WD) is no the equivalent to ISO's CD, therefore, NSBs cannot comment in the OSD during the CEN WD stage (unless there are members of the drafting body)

6. HOW TO GET STARTED?

Given that the project is in scope and its stage code is prior to the submission of ENQ draft to CCMC (30.99), the set-up can be requested:

• During the creation of the (P)NWI, via Projex-Online Working Area (stage codes 00.60 and 10.99), by selecting "OSD" in Section "Digital Aspect"
  • There is currently no possibility to import an existing text into the OSD, the transfer can be done by copying/pasting the content clause by clause. 
    There is an ongoing development to allow the import of content based on existing XMLs generated by CCMC.
• Prior to the submission of ENQ draft to CCMC, via this Online Form.

Want to try it out but not ready to sign up as a project yet? Request sandbox access.

7. OPTING-OUT

Opting-out of OSD after ENQ will not be possible.

As of 1 July 2026, drafting in Word will only be possible for the following 2 reasons (resolution CEN/BT 010/2026):

• Lack of technical functionality in OSD: The tool does not support specific technical requirements of the project.
• Accessibility constraints: The committee or working group includes participants with accessibility needs that OSD cannot currently accommodate.

The above reason(s) will need to be mentioned and justified when creating new projects via Projex-Online Working Area.

8. ROLES AND PERMISSIONS 

Please use this OSD - Roles & Permissions & Lifecycle to understand which GD-role gives what OSD-role in which stage.
The tab/view "Timeline (Roles & Permissions)" gives an overall overview of what is possible to do when and by who.
Ensure to navigate through the different tabs/sheets to get the most appropriate view.

The Project Leader (PL) role is not directly manageable on the CEN Global Directory. In order to appoint a PL to a WI, ensure the PL is registered within the WG in the GD, then contact dataservice@cencenelec.eu providing:

• WI details
• Full name and e-mail address of the PL (details 100% identical to GD, case sensitive)

During the Authoring states, LEADERS can upgrade WG members to another role (see Setting up project team):

• READER to COMMENTER or AUTHOR
• COMMENTER to AUTHOR

The roles can be reset by Leaders, but roles cannot be downgraded (i.e. set a Commenter to Reader)

9. DRAFTING: DOCUMENT STRUCTURE AND ELEMENTS

The OSD was specifically developed to draft standards, following a common approach on the mandatory structure of a document, as stated in CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations and ISO-IEC Directives.

Drafting in OSD automatically writes in XML language, in accordance with the published Coding guidelines from ISO and IEC. While the focus is on the content of the document, it is important to follow a pre-defined structure, including the use of different elements that ensures the proper rendering of layout in the produced final files (Word and PDF).

Here is the layout of the document structure:

• Title wrap: Automatically generated from Projex-Online (any update shall follow the current rules regardless of being developed in OSD or in Word)
• Introduction: automatically part of the template, can be deleted when necessary,
• European Foreword: automatically part of the template, partially filled-in, to be completed by the WG
• Normative references: automatically part of the template, cannot be edited directly (see Add normative and bibliographic references)
• Terms and definitions: automatically part of the template, partially filled-in, to be completed by the WG. This clause cannot be removed, but the text can be adapted in case there are no Terms and definitions in the document (see Terms and definitions).
• Body of the text: some clauses and subclauses are automatically part of the template, to be completed by the WG (see Drafting & Authoring)
  • Elements: the following elements shall be used when relevant in order to ensure proper rendering of the final files (Word/PDF), see (Drafting & Authoring)
    • Clauses
    • Figures & Keys (see Figures guide Requirements/Sizing/Subfigures)
    • Tables & Table footnotes
    • Formulae
    • Notes, examples, warnings, codes and long quotes
    • Lists
    • Cross-references
    • Footnotes
    • External links
  • Annexes: some annexes are automatically part of the template, to be completed by the WG
  • Bibliographic references: automatically part of the template, cannot be edited directly (see Add normative and bibliographic references)

The use of the above elements (and much more) can also be browsed directly from the , available from within any OSD document.

10. COMMENTING DURING BALLOTS

OSD is built to suit diverse members' needs and processes. As such, members can decide to either use:

• Option A (preferred): Use OSD to gather comments from National Committees > Requires NMCs to be registered in the CEN GD and mapped to the corresponding CEN Committee
• Option B: Gather national comments using the Commenting template > Voters shall upload the national comments in OSD, and review each comment's position for accuracy.

On a single ballot, Members can use both options. 

See the video tutorials on commenting.

11. FEATURES

• Real-time Editing: Multiple users can edit simultaneously, with changes tracked and attributed (see Track changes)
• Version Control: Automatic saving and version history allow users to revert to previous drafts if needed (see Compare versions with Document History)
• Integrated Comments and Suggestions: Facilitates discussion and review within the document (see Commenting During Authoring and WDS Stages)
• Content Quality Checks: Automated tools check for formatting, structure, and required elements before submission (see Validate Content Quality).
• Export Options: OSD Exports
  • Comment exports
  • Document exports

12. TRAININGS & RECORDINGS

Please register to the desired session(s) via the links below:  

Should there be less than 10 registrations, the session will be cancelled.

13. SUPPORT

Couldn't find what you were looking for? Please get in touch with production@cencenelec.eu