By Yasmine EDDAM
2 May 2025
Technical standards are an essential pillar of our economic and legal environment. They provide a framework for the production of goods and services by establishing recognised technical rules, but their legal status is often poorly understood. Although the voluntary application of standards is a fundamental principle of standardisation law, there are significant exceptions that transform their legal scope. This duality creates a complex framework that companies need to master in order to secure their business. The fundamental principle of voluntary application The voluntary nature of technical standards is expressly set out in article 17 of decree no. 2009-697 of 16 June 2009 on standardisation, which unambiguously states that "standards are voluntary". This principle fundamentally distinguishes standards from traditional legislative and regulatory texts. This voluntary nature is explained by the very origin of standards. Unlike traditional legal rules, technical standards are the result of a consensual process between economic and social players. The Association française de normalisation...
EN 
FR