The NATO Standardization Office (NSO – NATO Standardization Office) is a civil-military body responsible for supporting NATO standardization processes, the NATO Committee for Standardization in the field of standardization policy and management, and the Military Committee in the field of operational standardization.

The NATO Standardization Database (NSDD – NATO Standardization Database) is an online database of all NATO documents created in the standards processing procedure. It provides access to the list of all published NATO standards and enables searching by titles, designations and keywords of standards.

Almost one third of the standards are publicly available and users can download them without restrictions; for other standards that have a certain level of classification or distribution restrictions, users can obtain access under certain conditions. In this case, they submit the completed application to the MORS Standardization Department (standard@mors.si).

The Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD – Conference of National Armaments Directors) is a senior advisory committee that advises the North Atlantic Council on armaments matters. The Committee is responsible for promoting cooperation between countries in the field of armaments, thereby ensuring that NATO forces have the most modern and interoperable equipment.

With subordinate working groups, such as the Life Cycle Management Group, the Ammunition Safety Group and the Group of National Directors on Codification, it supports standardization and interoperability of Alliance capabilities and improves the effectiveness of NATO forces across the full spectrum of current and future operations.

The Digital Policy Committee (DPC – Digital Policy Committee) is a senior advisory committee in the field of NATO digital initiatives and consultation, command and control (C3).

It develops digital policy and provides guidance and advice to the North Atlantic Council and the Military Committee in areas such as C3, cyber defence, interoperability standards and profiles, and digital capabilities. It is composed of senior national representatives of Allied countries, representatives of NATO strategic commands, and other NATO committees and bodies concerned by its remit.

EDSTAR = European Defence Standards Reference System. It is a database of best practice standards for defence purposes (BPS – Best Practice Standards). It is intended for project managers and experts in the field of defence and security when drafting technical requirements for defence products, and for industry when designing new products for defence needs.

In this context, expert groups within the EDSTAR JMG select the most appropriate standards from the set of NATO standards, European civil standards, international standards or other standards recognised by the EU, and then publish them in the EDSTAR system.

To implement the European Defence Standardization Strategy (EDSS), the European Defence Standardization Committee (EDSC) was established, which also acts as a link between innovation and standardization. The Committee supports and strengthens the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy and the European Technological and Industrial Base.

The Committee operates in a closed format for EDA Member States and European Commission bodies, and in an open format for countries and organisations that have an agreement with the EDA. In January 2021, the EDSC established a subordinate working group, the EDSMG (European Defence Standardization Management Group), which supports the EDSC in European Defence Standardization management tasks, the development, maintenance and implementation of policies, plans and recommendations, and the promotion of activities among European standardization stakeholders.

The EDSMG also develops, assesses and improves processes within European Defence Standardization, while ensuring links with capability development and identifying gaps in this area.

CEN, CENELEC and ETSI are three officially recognised European standardization organisations. CEN (European Committee for Standardization) prepares European standards for a wide range of areas, such as products, materials, services and processes, while CENELEC is responsible for the electrotechnical field.

The purpose of CEN and CENELEC is to develop European standards that help remove technical barriers to trade, support the single European market, and improve quality, safety, interoperability, accessibility and environmental protection. CENELEC also particularly emphasises easier trade between countries, the creation of new markets and reducing compliance costs. In the defence and security field, the focus is on integrating defence requirements into the development of standards.

ETSI prepares standards in the field of telecommunications, broadcasting and other electronic communications networks and services.

The activity includes supporting European regulations and legislation through the development of harmonised European standards. Only standards prepared or adopted by the three European standardization organisations (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI) are recognised as European standards (EN).