Updating of CEN publications

This page helps to determine which method to follow in order to update a CEN Publication (corrigendum, amendment or correction notice).

1 INTRODUCTION AND RELATED DEFINITIONS

1.1 The correction of mistakes, which lead to an incorrect or unsafe application of a European Standard (EN) or a Technical Specification (CEN/TS) or a Technical Report (CEN/TR), shall be handled by the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre (CCMC), by the issuing of a corrigendum to all CEN Members with the request for immediate action at national level.

Corrigendum (CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations Part 2:2015, 2.12):
Supplementary document to one or several language version(s) of a CEN/CENELEC publication, which corrects one or more errors or ambiguities inadvertently introduced during either drafting or printing and which could lead to incorrect or unsafe application of those versions.

2.2  The correction, alteration or supplement concerning technical points (addition to or deletion of specific parts of the text of an EN or CEN/TS or CEN/TR or CEN Guide - e.g. updating of normative reference, ...) to an existing edition of an EN before a complete revision shall be handled by the Technical Committee (TC) through the preparation of an amendment.

Amendment (CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations Part 2:2015, 2.11):
Supplementary document to an EN (and HD for CENELEC) circulated to CEN and/or CENELEC Members for national implementation, to be read in conjunction with that EN (and HD for CENELEC) and which alters and/or adds to previously agreed technical provisions in that EN (and HD for CENELEC).

2 POLICY GUIDANCE

2.1  General

An EN may be updated :

  • by the publication of a corrigendum; and/or
  • by the publication of a consolidated EN (i.e. the issue of a new edition following the approval of a draft amendment); or 
  • by the revision of the EN (i.e. the issue of a new edition with a new publication year).

NOTE: For the review of EN, please refer to Process - 'Review of European Standards'.

In addition, Correction notices may be used for minor procedural/editorial issues in accordance with resolution BT 43/1995.

If a correction is necessary after the delivery of the ratified text, in order to speed up the correction of documents and to inform the CEN Members before they have prepared their final national version, the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre (CCMC) is authorized to send letters with minor corrections within one month (in exceptional cases up to three months) of the date of availability (dav).

Comparative description for the use of correction notices, corrigenda and amendments.

2.2 Corrigendum

A corrigendum is generally not submitted to any enquiry or voting procedure. However, if verification by the CEN Members is required, the intended correction is circulated for a two months period before being issued.

2.3 Amendment

2.3.1 Amendments shall be restricted to European Standards with a date of availability (dav, 60.60) of less than 4 years in the past and be avoided whenever possible.

In principle, non-urgent changes deemed necessary for a standard should be gathered and dealt with on the occasion of the revision of the standard.

2.3.2 Process guidance

This process guidance does not apply to documents maintained by specific Migration Help Desks.

2.3.2.1 At enquiry or formal vote stage, the TC prepares the draft amendment and sends it via E-Trans in the relevant reference language version to CCMC for checking its suitability for translation. Two electronic formats should be delivered, an agreed revisable one and a non-revisable one (.pdf), together with the completed electronic 'Transmission Notice' and separate files for the figures. AFNOR, BSI and DIN are automatically notified thereof.

2.3.2.2 If appropriate, CCMC dispatches the amendment to the HAS Consultants for assessment in line with the process - 'European Standards for citation in the Official Journal'.
Once the positive assessment is received, CCMC finalizes the reference language version of the amendment and includes the modifications given by the Consultant if appropriate, after agreement on any modifications has been reached with the TC Secretary.
When finalized, CCMC sends the electronic documents, via E-Trans, in line with the CEN-CENELEC Translation Procedure.
The relevant NSBs prepare the translations of the amendment and return them via E-Trans to CCMC within the specified timescales.
After the expiry of the time period, CCMC dispatches the amendment in the available language versions to the CEN Members for voting.

2.3.2.3  On receipt of a positive result of the formal vote, CCMC consolidates the original standard with the amendment text (including earlier published amendments and corrigenda) and incorporates the editorial corrections resulting from the voting comments in the reference language version.
All modifications brought into the original EN are identified in the consolidated text with a tagging system.
The consolidated text together with an instruction sheet prepared by CCMC and detailing the modifications brought into the original EN is then sent to the TC Secretary for a 2-week validation period.

Exactly one month after the circulation of the voting report showing that the result is "accepted", the amendment is considered ratified (dor = date of ratification).

When the consolidated text is published (dav), the status of the original standard is withdrawn whereas the amendment remains not published. In parallel, the work item related to the original EN will be closed whereas the amendment one will be abandoned. A new work item is created reflecting the consolidation of the previously existing work items. It corresponds to the new edition of the standard.

Within 5 weeks of the receipt of a positive formal vote, CCMC sends the 'stable' and approved reference language version together with the instruction sheet, to AFNOR, DIN and BSI, via E-Trans, for translation, as appropriate. BT members are notified thereof through E-Trans.

The two relevant NSBs prepare the translations of the consolidated text and related instruction sheet and return these to CCMC, via E-Trans, within 4 weeks.

CCMC distributes the consolidated text to the CEN Members (dav). The instruction sheet is also provided to the CEN Members for information only.

2.3.3 The result of the approval of an amendment is the publication of a new edition of the EN in question designated by the same publication year plus the amendment with the current publication year (e.g. EN 12345:2005 + A1:2006). Unless the amendment is the result of a review (IR 2, clause 11.2.8.b), the planned date for the review will remain that of the original standard.

2.3.4 In case of existing published separate amendments, no more than three separate amendments to an EN shall be published before its revision (this does not apply to documents maintained by specific Migration Help Desks).
Care shall be taken that all existing published separate amendments have been treated and incorporated in the course of the revision of the standard by the TC.

2.3.5 In the course of the approval procedure, there is only:
• one designation: draft amendment
• one abbreviation: (F)prA
• and Arabic consecutive numerals: 1, 2, 3 - e.g. (F)prA1, (F)prA2 and (F)prA3.
If a draft amendment ((F)prAN) does not lead to an accepted amendment and the matter is dropped, the next consecutive draft receives the next consecutive Arabic numeral (prAN+1); the reason for the missing number of the amendment shall be given in the foreword of the following draft amendments and amendments.

2.3.6 Draft amendment ((F)prAN) shall contain only the text of the proposed technical amendment. Nevertheless, all amendments and draft amendments shall contain precise instructions for all changes to be made, including editorial ones, e.g. changes in the contents list.

2.3.7
A CEN Member who accepts an amendment of an EN is deemed to have approved the complete relevant EN as amended.
When the EN to which one or more amendments refer, is withdrawn, all amendments relating to this edition of the EN are withdrawn. 

2017-11-09

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