Members of the European Union have to work closely together. This means that companies are increasingly active across borders, and to reach new markets they have to adjust to common framework conditions.

European standardization is special in that all 33 CEN/CENELEC member nations are obligated to adopt European Standards (ENs) as national standards. The aim is to ensure that the same requirements regarding the quality and safety of products and services apply in every European country. Directive 2006/123/EC on services in the internal market supports this aim in that it, in Article 26 (5), stipulates "the development of voluntary European standards with the aim of facilitating compatibility between services ....  and the quality of service provision."

Ever since the EU's new "Regulation on the Future of European Standardisation" came into effect on 1 January 2013, the European Commission is now called upon to mandate the development of services standards within CEN, CENLEC and ETSI to supplement the projects initiated by business and consumer organizations. The overall goal is to provide a new impetus for the provision of services across borders and strengthening the competitive ability of smaller service providers.

See also the European Commission's „M/517 Mandate“ addressed to CEN, CENELEC and ETSI for the Programming and Development of Horizontal Service Standards"

At European level, Germany currently holds the Secretariat of CEN/TC 420 "Service excellence systems“.

Go here for an overview of CEN technical bodies.