When the technical meets the political: Court of Justice rules that EU standards require more openness

The European Commission estimates that more than 3,600 technical standards have been developed over the past three decades. Shutterstock 19 Studio

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled that harmonised technical standards – an influential form of governance – must be more accessible. Here’s what this landmark decision means.

Technical standardisation, which encompasses standards published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), has become a critical aspect of global regulation. Its scope has expanded far beyond goods, encompassing services, the environment, corporate social responsibility (ISO 26000) and anti-corruption measures (ISO 37000).