European Sign Federation

First Steps Towards Standardization:

Just over ten years ago, in May 2015, the European Sign Federation (ESF) launched a project group to evaluate a standard for luminous signs. Simultaneously, the ESF board held promising discussions with CEN in Brussels. And after only two and a half years, the project group had developed the first draft of a Code of Practice to the point where it could be submitted to CEN with the aim of establishing a Technical Committee (TC). The future TC would then establish a standard based on this draft.

Navigating the Standardization Jungle of Europe

However, the wheels of European bureaucracy turned slowly. An initial vote at CEN was unsuccessful, despite a majority of delegates. Active support from national standards bodies was lacking. Numerous discussions were held to counter resistance stemming from perceived overlaps with other Technical Committees (TCs).
This time-consuming process was brought to a near standstill by the pandemic.

Nevertheless, the Code of Practice continued to be developed in parallel with the CEN document, as many new topics arose from new legislation at the national and European levels. Initially, the CoP focused on manufacturing with consideration for structural safety. Now, the project teams concentrate primarily on the lighting design of luminous signs.
The previous expansions of the Code of Practice (and future technical innovations) have ultimately led to a highly complex situation where defining the production of luminous signs through a standard is proving very difficult.

DIN proposal paves the way for a set of rules

Thomas Berens, Technical Director at the ESF, has held intensive discussions with DIN. DIN is a Europe-wide recognized standards institute and has worked with Berens to develop a possible version of a standard.
The ESF board is now following the recommendation to take an intermediate step towards a standard in the form of a set of rules as a pre-normative document. This will then be published Europe-wide via DIN Media.
The basis for this is the current Code of Practice Rev. 11.1 published by the ESF. It is supplemented with licensed excerpts from key standards. Graphics are intended to clearly explain the content and clarify the recurring question: Is a luminous sign an installation or a product?

What are the advantages of this new set of rules compared to a standard?
A set of rules offers greater flexibility in content compared to a standard.
Furthermore, it allows for a more practical formulation (keyword: “easy to read”), which is expressly desired by the publishers.
This book aims to present all the important aspects for sign professionals concisely and clearly – especially those points relevant to compliance with applicable standards during the manufacture and installation of luminous signs.
In addition, the content of this set of rules may well be mandatory for necessary certifications of sign professionals!

When and how the rulebook will be published

At the last ESF autumn meeting in October 2025, the project was approved by the General Assembly. The rulebook will be published in English and German as a first edition, both in print and as an eBook. The ESF and the authors aim for the rulebook to be available in the last quarter of 2026.

Thomas Berens, 2025-10-26