This page describes the elements and actions required to develop and produce a CENELEC Workshop Agreement (CWA). It applies to all parties interested in developing a CWA (proposers), the CENELEC National Committees and the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre (CCMC). For more details read CEN-CENELEC Guide 29.

1 PROCESS

1.1 A party interested in developing a CWA reaches out to a CENELEC National Committee or to CCMC. If CCMC is the first point of contact, it assists the Workshop Proposer in finding a CENELEC National Committee to take on the CENELEC Workshop Secretariat, following the process described in CEN-CENELEC Guide 29, clause 4.1.

NOTE: a Workshop cannot deal with safety aspects.

1.2 The CENELEC Workshop secretariat, with the support of the Workshop proposer, shall prepare a Workshop Description Form (part A and part B) and send it to the CEN-CENELEC Director Standardization for allocation to a CCMC Project Manager (see CEN-CENELEC Guide 29, clause 4.2).

1.3 The Workshop secretariat submits the CENELEC Workshop Description Form to relevant Technical Committees (TCs), if any are identified in part A.1.10 of the form, for a 30-day consultation.

1.4 If the TC has no objections to the CWA being developed, the CENELEC Workshop proposal may go forward. If the Technical Committee is opposed to the launch of the CENELEC Workshop, the CENELEC Workshop Description Form shall be submitted to the CENELEC Technical Board (BT) for decision.

1.5 The CENELEC Workshop Description Form is submitted to the CENELEC Technical Board by the CCMC project manager for:

• Decision if the CWA:  
  • addresses management system aspects;
  • A TC identified as relevant in the description form has voiced arguments against the proposed CWA (see 1.4 above).
• Information: in all other cases.

See also the summary of the consultation process of the launch of CWA.

1.6 After receiving the agenda of the Kick-Off Meeting and other documents relevant for the registration of participants to the Kick-Off Meeting, CCMC announces the proposal for a new CENELEC Workshop (CENELEC/WS) on the CEN-CENELEC Website at least 30 days before the Kick-off Meeting. (See also guidance on WS announcement.)

The information posted on the website will include:

• the CLC/WS Draft Project Plan (Description Form, Part B);
• agenda of the Kick-off Meeting;
• how to submit comments to the Workshop Draft Project Plan;
• the draft CWA, if available.

Any comments submitted during this period shall be considered with the Workshop Secretariat and Workshop Proposer and in any case during the Kick-off Meeting at the latest.

1.7 During the Kick-off Meeting, the Workshop Secretary gives the participants information about the CLC/WS and the development process of the envisaged CWA, to help them understand how the WS will operate (see presentation template for generic information).

The comments received on the Workshop Draft Project Plan (Description Form, Part B) are reviewed and the Final Workshop Project Plan is approved by those participants wishing to proceed.

The formal launch of the CLC/WS happens at the Kick-off Meeting, provided that there is sufficient support for the Workshop Project Plan.

Participation to the Kick-off Meeting does not automatically ensure registration to the CLC/WS. After the Kick-off Meeting the participants wishing to continue contributing to the development of the draft CWAs will be requested to officially register to the CLC/WS by means of signing the registration form, therefore becoming CLC/WS participants.

1.8 The CLC/WS participants draft the CWA(s) according to the specifications laid down in the Final Workshop Project Plan and to the CWA simple template. The draft CWA is made available for comments to the CLC/WS participants.

To ensure transparency, the documents of the CLC/WS should be uploaded on an electronic platform.

1.9 After the Kick-Off Meeting, the CENELEC Workshop Secretariat shall submit a CWA NWI form to CCMC (dataservice@cencenelec.eu) for any of the approved work items. CCMC shall register them in the CEN database, with a WI number.

1.10 If the CWA is in the same domain as an existing Technical Committee, the Workshop Secretary is encouraged to follow the guidance on WS-TC communication, to ensure proper exchange of information. In particular, whenever the draft CWA is sent to the CLC/WS participants for internal consultation, it shall be sent to that Technical Committee for comments at the same time. In such cases, a commenting period of 30 days is recommended. Comments shall be sent to the Workshop Secretariat. These comments shall be considered by the CLC/WS participants.

1.11 If foreseen in the Final Workshop Project Plan, an open commenting phase (minimum 30 days) is launched.

CCMC will make the draft CWA available for external comments on the CEN-CENELEC Website.

CCMC will also notify the CENELEC Technical Board.

In case of an open commenting phase, the Workshop Secretariat ensures the creation of a comments resolution report that compiles all the received comments. The comments are considered by the CLC/WS participants.

1.12 The WS Chairperson ensures that an agreement on the final draft has been reached among the WS participants, and the WS secretariat submits the approved CWA to CCMC through the electronic platform.

CCMC ensures that:

• a reference number (and identifier in the format of 'CWA xxxx') is allocated to the CWA and added before circulating the published CWA to the CENELEC National Committees for announcement;
• the CWA is drafted according to the CWA Simple Template and follows the principles set in the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations – Part 3.

1.13 The Workshop Secretariat shall inform any relevant TC of the publication of the CWA. At this stage, or at any later point in the CWA lifecycle, a TC can decide to take on the responsibility for the maintenance of the CWA. In this case, the TC Secretariat will conduct the consultation for the review of the CWA after 3 years. 

1.14 A CWA is valid for 3 years, after which two possible cases apply:

• If the maintenance of the CWA has not been previously allocated to a CENELEC Technical Body: CCMC notifies the CLC/BT Permanent Delegate of the National Member holding the CENELEC Workshop secretariat that the 3-year limit has been reached. The CENELEC Workshop secretariat shall then consult the participants of the CENELEC Workshop and, when possible, the CENELEC Workshop Chair and the relevant Technical Bodies;
• If the maintenance of the CWA has been previously allocated to a CENELEC Technical Body: its secretary shall launch a ballot within the Technical Body

In both cases, the consultation aims at establishing if the CWA shall be:

• confirmed for another 3 years (CCMC shall submit the consultation result to CLC/BT for decision);
• revised (the process shall restart from clause 1.2 above)
• converted into another deliverable (the New Work Item proposal will be approved following the CENELEC rules. CCMC shall inform CLC/BT)
• withdrawn (CCMC shall submit the consultation result to CLC/BT for decision)

CWAs have a maximum lifetime of 6 years. After 6 years from initial publication, even where the CWA has been revised during this time, the CWA is submitted by CCMC to the CLC/BT for decision regarding its withdrawal.

1.15 At any point in its lifecycle, a CWA can be converted into another standardization deliverable (e.g. a TS or an EN), at the initiative of CENELEC National Committees or of a Technical Body. This conversion shall be conducted according to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations - Part 2.