Post 4: Normative References

Now let us turn our attention to normative references and the most frequently asked questions and commonly experienced problems. 

First, let's start with the basics:

What is a normative reference?

 

A normative reference is a document to which reference is made in such a way as to make it indispensable for the application of the standard. This therefore assumes that obtaining any document which is normatively referenced is essential for the proper implementation of the standard.

Normative references have to be referred to normatively in the body of the document at least once. See Table H.1 in the Internal Regulations Part 3 for precise guidance on how to express requirements.

To differentiate, an informative reference is either a document which is directly referenced in the standard, but the use of which is not indispensable for the application of the standard, or a document that the drafting body used as an informal source for the drafting of the text. Informative references should be listed in the bibliography.

The key question to ask when tackling normative references is whether the document you are referencing is in fact indispensable to the application of the standard and is it directly referenced at least once in the body of the text? Is it normative or informative?

How and where should I list normative references?

 

Normative references are listed in Clause 2 of CEN and CENELEC deliverables, however they are an optional element and are not essential.

Here is an example of how a normative reference should appear in Clause 2: 

EN 50539-11, Low-voltage surge protective devices – Surge protective devices for specific application including d.c. – Part 11: Requirements and tests for SPDs in photovoltaic applications

When does a normative reference have to be dated?

 

References need only to be dated when they are being used to refer to a specific element (e.g. clause, subclause, annex, numbered list entry), formula, table or figure in the referenced document. This is because a new edition of a standard may not have the exact same order of content as its previous version.

Where both normative and informative references are undated then the latest version of the referenced document, including any amendments applies.

It is essential that the normative references are as up-to-date as possible and that the latest version is used so that the published text remains state of the art. It is also essential that any document which is normatively referenced is publicly available and not at draft stage. 

In certain special cases, references may have to be dated, even though no specific element from it is mentioned. For example, in some cases deliverables are required to meet the Essential Requirements of New Approach Directives, in which case normative references which appear in a clause which is listed in the Annex ZA may need to be dated in Clause 2. 

This occasionally calls for a case-by-case approach during editing and a close collaboration between the editor, the drafting body and other stakeholders – e.g. Consultants.

If you have any queries about the document you are working on then feel free to drop us a line at production@cencenelec.eu. 

Where can I find the information regarding the most recent version of an EN and its title?

 

You can find all the necessary information on Projex-Online. Other helpful sources of information are the Search areas on the CEN website (http://standards.cen.eu/dyn/www/f?p=CENWEB:105::RESET::::) and on the CENELEC website (http://www.cenelec.eu/dyn/www/f?p=104:107:2583858426572501::::FSP_LANG_ID:25).

What if I have a normative reference which is not a CEN, CENELEC, ETSI, ISO or IEC standard?

 

Are you drafting a CENELEC EN?  There is a CENELEC Guide 10 that has been adopted by the Technical Board and gives the relevant information: http://www.cenelec.eu/membersandexperts/referencematerial/cenelecguides.html.

Are you drafting a CEN EN? The responsible Technical Committee has to take a formal TC Decision.  The formatted decision can be found in Section 2.2 on the following page of the CEN BOSS website: http://boss.cen.eu/reference%20material/FormattedDecisions/Pages/default.aspx and must be returned to CCMC at: tcminares@cencenelec.eu.

Summary 

To recap here is a handy summary that includes some of the key points to keep in mind when considering normative references:

o   Optional element o   List documents which are indispensable for the application of the standard o   Date references if they refer to a specific element in another document, e.g. table, figure… o   Refer preferably to other European Standards o   Standards from other organizations can be referenced under certain conditions o   Normative references must be referred to normatively in the body of the text at least once in order to appear in Clause 2 o   Avoid references to: o   drafts (unpublished work) o   documents that are not publicly available o   documents that are referred to informatively o   documents that have served as background material in the preparation of the document

Normative references can be a difficult aspect of drafting standards and the Editors at CCMC are always here to provide you with support on any queries you might have throughout the drafting process. 

Any questions about the topics covered in this post? Post us a comment!

And don’t forget to follow us – next week we will be blogging about terms and definitions…

Frédéric Dufour and Sarah Gibson (fdufour@cencenelec.eu, sgibson@cencenelec.eu, production@cencenelec.eu)

© All CCMC posted information is copyrighted by CEN and/or CENELEC.  Extracts may be used providing that the source is mentioned.

Please note that the CCMC posted information is drawn from a variety of sources already publicly available on the CEN and CENELEC websites.