Understanding baby carrier and sling standards in Europe can be difficult, especially for those outside of Europe.
There are many reasons for this, including the fact that when someone refers to “Europe,” they may mean many different things.
- Within the European continent, there are approximately 50 countries that exist at least partly within its boundaries
- Only 44 countries have their capital cities within the European continent. This means that some countries exist on more than one continent.
- The United Nations recognizes 44 counties as “European” countries.
- European countries exist as their own entities, and each has its own laws and regulations.
- Some European countries have formed treaty agreements, agreeing to be governed by certain laws and regulations as a collective in addition to their own national laws. (This includes the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the European Free Trade Association.)
- These collectives operate separately, but there is also cooperation between them. This means one collective may adopt the standards or laws of another country.
European countries, collectives, and organizations
In order to understand baby carrier and sling standards in Europe, one must first understand the various collectives and organizations and how they may work together. This section offers a basic explanation and key definitions you must understand before reading this article.
The political geography of Europe
Europe
When Europe is referred to as a continent, this is a geographical concept rather than a political one. There are approximately 50 countries with part or all of their land mass in the European continent, although generally, not all are recognized as “countries of Europe.”
Learn more about the European continent is a geographical concept here: https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/europe.htm
United Nations
The UN is an intergovernmental organization. While not all countries (either in Europe or in the world) are members of the UN, the UN’s position that there are 44 European countries is generally recognized by the global community. https://www.un.org/en/
European Union
The EU is a group of 27 countries (at the time of this writing) who have signed treaty agreements allowing the countries to pool resources, share regulations and laws, and to allow citizens of the EU to move people and goods more freely throughout the region.
https://european-union.europa.eu/index_en
European Free Trade Association
The EFTA is the result of treaties between 4 nations (at the time of this writing). They operate separately from the EU, but may adopt rules and standards set within the EU
United Kingdom
The UK is a result of a treaty between 4 nations (at the time of this writing). The UK was formerly a member of the EU, but withdrew from the EU several years ago (commonly known as “Brexit”). They operate independently of the EU and EFTA, but may adopt rules and standards set forth with the EU
Countries not connected by a treaty agreement
The above collectives include 35 nations within Europe. There are 9 additional countries that are not bound by collective treaties in the ways described above.
Standards-writing organizations, including baby carrier and sling standards in Europe
National Standardization Bodies
Each country within the EU, as well as some countries outside of the EU, has a National Standardization Body (NSB) that governs national standards. Depending on the country, these standards may be voluntary or mandatory. Countries outside the EU may have a different name for the organizations that are in charge of consumer product standards, but each nation will have its own laws and rules regarding consumer products.
CEN is the European Committee for Standardization
The European Committee for Standardization is generally known as CEN. Currently there are 34 European countries that are members of CEN. Other government entities also participate in this process in a less official capacity. CEN standards are internationally recognized, and generally, they are adopted by the EU and the EFTA as law. The UK has stated it will continue to recognize CEN standards.
A push for European Standardization
There has been a push in Europe to standardize product regulations throughout the continent to make trade between nations easier. The European Union (EU) standardization system is important for the consolidation of the European Single Market.
Because the final goal is to have one standard accepted everywhere, CEN works with all National Standardization Organizations to create a single standard. To this end, CEN has 34 representatives as members in The European Committee for Standardization (CEN). These representatives work to create product standards, such as the baby carrier and sling standard in Europe::
- One member from the National Standardization Board of each of the 27 EU nations
- One member from each of the EFTA nations
- One member from the UK
- Additional members from Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkyie
The goal is the creation of a single standard that is accepted throughout the EU and in the other participating European countries mentioned above.
How the CEN process works
All European countries, including those who are part of the EU, rely on their own nation’s compliance laws. Some countries already have a baby carrier standard developed through their own National Standards Board, some are working to develop standards, and others have no existing standard of any kind.
Once the CEN starts developing a new European standard, all the work of each participating NBS is stopped. CEN consults with experts from all the fields involved, such as:
- industry
- associations
- public administrations
- academia
- societal organizations
It takes many years and countless meetings to draft a new standard.
Once the new standard is drafted, it is open to public inquiry. After all comments are addressed and all NSB members have voted, the CEN standard is either sent back to drafting or approved. Once approved, and it will automatically replace any similar national standards within member nations.
Who can check for compliance with baby carrier and sling standards in Europe
Each of the European country has their own product consumer safety organization, and each of these organizations can check for compliance. Compliance with CEN standards is mandatory, and any product that claims compliance with a standard is subject to a compliance check.
If a product fails a compliance check, this may result in a recall of that product from the public market. This includes products that claiming compliance for a standard that is not applicable (for example, having a ring sling claim compliance for the test for baby carriers with leg holes).
The BCIA provides extensive resources and assistance to members to help with regulatory compliance in Europe. If you are not currently a member, you can learn more about membership and apply to become a member using this link.
Current status of CEN baby carrier and sling standards in Europe
Existing baby carrier and sling standards in Europe
At this moment, in Europe, there are a few different standards for baby carriers and slings. We will not link the standards directly, as there are several companies that sell the standards to the public and we don’t recommend a particular vendor. You can search the standard name if you wish to purchase and read any of the standards.
For both framed back carriers and baby carriers with leg openings, there is an active CEN standard, which has already been adopted by all national bodies.
- EN 13209-1: frame packs and framed baby carriers
- EN13209-2: baby carriers with leg openings
For slings, wraps and soft structured carriers the situation is different. Some countries, such as Italy, have an individual national standard. However, most European countries do not have a standard specifically applicable to baby carriers and slings.
Although there are no CEN sling standards in Europe, CEN has published what’s referred to as a “technical report” that offers clear guidance for manufacturers of these carriers.
CEN/TR 16512:2015 Child Use and Care Articles – Guidelines for the Safety of Children’s Slings is the name of the technical report.
To learn more about the difference between a standard and a technical report, you may read this article.