ETSI Overview

Basics

ETSI stands for European Telecommunications Standards Institute. ETSI develops standards in key global technologies such as: GSM, TETRA, 3G, 4G, 5G, or DECT.

It is one of the three European Standards Organizations (ESOs) and alongside CEN and CENELEC responsible for developing and defining voluntary standards at the European level – CEN with focus on general standards, CENELEC on electrotechnical standards, and ETSI on telecommunications. The role of ESOs is to support EU regulation and policies through the production of harmonised European Standards (ENs) and other deliverables. The standards developed by ESOs are the only ones that can be recognized as ENs.

ETSI standards and technical specifications are publicly available for consultation and implementation on reasonable terms, including free of charge, and are accessible on the ETSI website.

Links

(Potentially) relevant and active TCs

The participation in some of the technical groups (Technical Committees, ETSI Projects) is reserved to members whereas the participation to other technical groups (ETSI Partnership Project, Industry Specification Group, Open Source Group, Software Development Group) is possible for both members and non-members.

TC CYBER

TC CYBER works on market-driven cyber security standardization, advice and guidance to users, manufacturers, network, infrastructure and service operators and regulators. ETSI produces vertical standards (ENs) for the CRA in the EUSR subgroup, but it is also dealing with NIS2, DORA and other EU regulations. The other CYBER subgroup is QSC which deals with quantum-safe cryptography. Portal Link to TC CYBER

TC SAI

TC SAI (Securing Artificial Intelligence) develops technical specifications to mitigate against threats arising from the deployment of AI, and threats to AI systems, from both other AIs, and from conventional sources. Portal Link to TC SAI

TC DATA

TC DATA is a new Technical Committee to deal with new standards in line with the European Data Act/Data Governance Act. It liaises with SAI and CYBER on AI-related topics. Portal Link to TC DATA.

TC ESI

TC ESI is the Technical Committee Electronic Signatures and Trust Infrastructures and covers the format, procedures and policies for creation and validation of digital signatures, as well as. policy, security and technical requirements for trust service providers (TSP). ESI aims at supporting the eIDAS Regulation and general requirements of the international community. Portal Link to TC ESI

TC MTS

TC MTS creates standards related to testing and specification languages and provides frameworks and methodologies to enable the other ETSI committees to achieve this goal. Portal Link to TC MTS

TC EE

TC EE is the Technical Committee for Environmental Engineering. Currently not a priority group, but EE deals with DPP, the Digital Product Passport. DPP comes from eco-design and the circular economy, but it is a candidate for more general market compliance documentation. Portal Link to TC EE

Types of Standards, Specifications and Reports

ETSI produces specifications, standards, reports and guides, each with its own purpose.
See below the overview of types of standards provided by ETSI, on their website in an overview over the standards making process and there’s also a dedicated PAS process guide .

European Standard (EN)

Used when the document is intended to meet needs specific to Europe and requires transposition into national standards, or when the drafting of the document is required under a standardization request from the European Commission (EC)/European Free Trade Association (EFTA). An EN is drafted by a Technical Committee and approved by ETSI’s European National Standards Organizations.

Harmonised Standards

Harmonised Standards are ENs with a special status. We produce them in response to an EC standardization request. They provide the technical detail necessary to achieve the ‘essential requirements’ of an EC Directive. They are thus key enablers of the European Single Market. We produced and continue to produce numerous Harmonised Standards in support of several EC mandates and policies.

European standardization deliverables

Any other technical specification than a European standard, adopted by a European standardization organization for repeated or continuous application and with which compliance is not compulsory.

ETSI Standard (ES)

Used when the document contains technical requirements. An ES is submitted to the whole ETSI membership for approval.

ETSI Guide (EG)

Used for guidance to ETSI in general on the handling of specific technical standardization activities. It is submitted to the whole ETSI membership for approval.

ETSI Technical Specification (TS)

Used when the document contains technical requirements and it is important that it is available for use quickly. A TS is approved by the Technical Committee that drafted it.

ETSI Technical Report (TR)

Used when the document contains explanatory material. A TR is approved by the Technical Committee that drafted it.

ETSI Special Report (SR)

Used for various purposes, including to make information publicly available for reference. An SR is approved by the Technical Committee which produced it.
ETSI Group Specification (GS)
Provides technical requirements or explanatory material or both. Produced and approved within our Industry Specification Groups (ISGs).

ETSI Group Report (GR)

An ETSI deliverable, containing only informative elements, approved for publication by an Industry Specification Group.