CEN/TR 13737-1:2012

Implementation Guide for functional standards prepared by CEN/TC 234 Gas infrastructure - Part 1: General

This part of the Technical Report contains the definition of "Functional Standardisation" in the context of CEN/TC 234 and explains their relationship with relevant European Directives, national legislation and national standards.  
It is intended as a guideline for the national implementation of the functional European Standards elaborated by CEN/TC 234 "Gas infrastructure".

Leitfaden zur Implementierung von Funktionalnormen, erarbeitet von CEN/TC 234 Gasinfrastruktur - Teil 1: Allgemein

Dieser Teil des Technischen Berichts enthält die Definition des Begriffes "Funktionale Normung" im Sinnzusammenhang des CEN/TC 234 und erklärt die Beziehung zu den entsprechenden europäischen Richtlinien, nationalen Gesetzen und nationalen Normen.
Er ist als Leitfaden für die nationale Umsetzung der vom CEN/TC 234 "Gasinfrastruktur" erarbeiteten funktionalen Europäischen Normen gedacht.

Guide d'implémentation des normes fonctionnelles - Élaborées par le CEN/TC 234 Infrastructures gazières - Partie 1 : Généralités

Cette partie du rapport technique contient la définition de «normalisation fonctionnelle» dans le contexte du CEN/TC 234 et explique leur relation avec les directives européennes, la législation nationale et les normes nationales.
Il est conçu comme un guide pour la mise en oeuvre nationale des Normes européennes fonctionnelles élaborées par le CEN/TC 234 "Infrastructures gazières".

Vodilo za uporabo funkcionalnih standardov, ki jih je pripravil CEN/TC 234 Infrastruktura za plin - 1. del: Splošno

Ta del tehničnega poročila vključuje opredelitev »funkcionalne standardizacije« v okviru CEN/TC 234 ter pojasnjuje povezavo funkcionalnih standardov z ustreznimi evropskimi direktivami, nacionalno zakonodajo in nacionalnimi standardi. Namenjen je podajanju smernic za nacionalno izvajanje funkcionalnih evropskih standardov, pripravljenih v okviru odbora CEN/TC 234 »Infrastruktura za plin«.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 17-Jul-2012
• ICS: 91.140.40 - Gas supply systems
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 234 - Gas infrastructure
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 234 - Gas infrastructure
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 18-Jul-2012
• Due Date: 29-Apr-2012
• Completion Date: 18-Jul-2012
• Ref Project: SIST-TP CEN/TR 13737-1:2013 - Implementation Guide for functional standards prepared by CEN/TC 234 Gas infrastructure - Part 1: General

Relations

• Replaces: CR 13737:2001 - Implementation Guide for functional standards prepared by CEN/TC 234 "Gas supply"
• Effective Date: 08-Jun-2022
• Referred By: CEN/TR 13737-2:2014 - Gas infrastructure - Implementation Guide for Functional Standards prepared by CEN/TC 234 - Part 2: National Pages related to CEN/TC 234 standards
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026

Overview

CEN/TR 13737-1:2012 is a technical report from the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) serving as a comprehensive implementation guide for functional standards developed by CEN/TC 234, specifically for gas infrastructure. The document outlines the principles of “functional standardisation” and clarifies the relationships between European functional standards, relevant EU directives, national legislation, and national standards. It is intended to assist national bodies and industry stakeholders in adopting functional European Standards for the gas infrastructure sector, ensuring harmonized, safe, and reliable gas supply systems across Europe.

Key Topics

• Functional Standardisation:
  The report defines functional standardisation as the approach focused on specifying the functions, safety, and integrity of complex gas infrastructure systems, including their design, construction, operation, and maintenance. This form of standardisation differs from product-specific standards by emphasizing system functions over technical details.

• Relationship with Legislation and Standards:
  CEN/TR 13737-1:2012 details how European functional standards interface with relevant EU directives (such as Directive 2004/17/EC and Directive 2009/73/EC), national laws, and national standards. In cases where national legislation is more restrictive than the European standard, national requirements take precedence.

• A-Deviations:
  The document explains the process for managing exceptions (A-deviations), which occur when national legal requirements conflict with the provisions of a European Standard. These deviations are formally justified and included to maintain compliance with national laws, while aiming to minimize trade barriers.

• Harmonization and Interoperability:
  The guide emphasizes achieving harmonization across Member States and enabling interoperability between gas network systems. This approach supports the development of a single European market for gas by ensuring consistent safety and operational practices.

Applications

• National Implementation:
  The guide serves as a reference for national standardization bodies, helping them transpose CEN/TC 234 functional standards into national frameworks for gas infrastructure design, construction, and operation.

• Industry Guidance:
  Gas infrastructure operators, network designers, and engineering firms rely on this technical report to align their systems with both European functional standards and specific national regulations, ensuring safety and market access.

• Regulatory Compliance:
  Authorities use CEN/TR 13737-1:2012 to verify that national or local standards and practices are consistent with overarching European requirements and do not create unnecessary obstacles to market entry.

• Updating National Standards:
  The report acts as a bridge, guiding national committees through the process of withdrawing conflicting national standards when a European Standard is implemented, while still respecting necessary national deviations.

Related Standards

• EN 1775: Gas Supply - Gas Distribution Systems
• Directive 2009/73/EC - Common rules for the internal market in natural gas
• Directive 2004/17/EC - Procurement in the water, energy, transport, and postal services sectors
• CEN Internal Regulations Part 2 and 3 - Procedures on deviations, harmonization, and national implementation
• Other CEN/TC 234 Functional Standards - Covering different aspects of the gas infrastructure value chain

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Keywords: CEN/TR 13737-1:2012, gas infrastructure standards, functional standardisation, European gas market, CEN/TC 234, implementation guide, European standards, national legislation, gas pipeline safety, gas supply systems, A-deviations, harmonization.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-januar-2013
1DGRPHãþD
SIST CR 13737:2004
Vodilo za uporabo funkcionalnih standardov, ki jih je pripravil CEN/TC 234
Infrastruktura za plin - 1. del: Splošno
Implementation Guide for functional standards prepared by CEN/TC 234 Gas
infrastructure - Part 1: General
Leitfaden zur Implementierung von Funktionalnormen, erarbeitet vom CEN/TC 234
Gasinfrastruktur - Teil 1: Allgemein
Guide d'implémentation des normes fonctionnelles élaborées par le CEN/TC 234
Infrastructures gazières - Partie 1: Général
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/TR 13737-1:2012
ICS:
91.140.40 Sistemi za oskrbo s plinom Gas supply systems
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

TECHNICAL REPORT
CEN/TR 13737-1
RAPPORT TECHNIQUE
TECHNISCHER BERICHT
July 2012
ICS 91.140.40 Supersedes CR 13737:2001
English Version
Implementation Guide for functional standards prepared by
CEN/TC 234 Gas infrastructure - Part 1: General
Guide d'implémentation des normes fonctionnelles - Leitfaden zur Implementierung von Funktionalnormen,
Élaborées par le CEN/TC 234 Infrastructures gazières - erarbeitet vom CEN/TC 234 Gasinfrastruktur - Teil 1:
Partie 1 : Généralités Allgemein

This Technical Report was approved by CEN on 11 March 2012. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 234.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United
Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2012 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. CEN/TR 13737-1:2012: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
Foreword .3
Introduction .4
1 Scope .5
2 CEN/TC 234 "functional standards".5
2.1 Definition of the term "Functional standardization" .5
2.2 Content .5
3 Relationship between CEN/TC 234 functional standards and national standards .6
4 A-deviations in the context of functional standards elaborated by CEN/TC 234 .6
5 Conclusions .7
Annex A (informative) A-Deviations - Abstract from CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations Part 2,
2008, Updated January 2010 .8
Annex B (informative) Relevant BT Resolutions . 10

Foreword
This document (CEN/TR 13737-1:2012) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 234 “Gas
infrastructure”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document supersedes CR 13737:2001.
Introduction
This document has been prepared by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 234 instigated by resolution BT
53/1998 (see Annex A). In its functional standards CEN/TC 234 establishes common safety principles to
design, construct, operate and maintain safe and reliable gas infrastructure systems. The detail to comply with
these principles is left to recognised national documents in support of national legislation. In the event of
conflicts in terms of more restrictive requirements in the national legislation/regulation with the requirements of
CEN/TC 234 standards the national legislation/regulation take precedence as illustrated in part 2 of this CEN
Technical Report. The listing of legislation/regulations has been extended to cover all CEN/TC 234 standards.
CEN functional standards are a relatively novel concept. The CEN/TC 234 standards are amongst the first to
be submitted to public enquiry. At the start of the elaboration of the functional standards a way had to be
found to ensure compliance with the CEN internal regulations. For this purpose CEN/TC 234 prepared its
"Position Paper - Acceptance of CEN/TC 234 Standards" N 432 which was endorsed by CEN/BT Resolution
C14/1997 (see Annex B), now incorporated in this document.
The relation between EN Standards and national standards and/or regulations is defined by CEN Internal
regulations. A clarification for implementation of the CEN/TC 234 standards in the CEN member countries is
given in this document.
Part 2 of this Technical Report contains, for each country affected, a national page where the relevant national
legislation/regulations for the field of gas infrastructure are listed. The national page may further contain the
relevant national standards and/or codes of practice and national bodies which can act as further sources of
information, if an interested party needs further guidance.
The national page may, if necessary, indicate any requirements in the national legislation/regulations that are
more stringent than those in the European Standards prepared by CEN/TC 234. This is done however without
giving any details. This does not apply to requirements contained in clauses that are harmonised to any new
approach directive.
Although the CEN/TC 234 standards refer to CR 13737:2000 (or later editions) it should be emphasised that
the latest available version of CEN/TR 13737 part 1 and 2 is valid.
The listing of the national legislation/regulations is established by each CEN member. The responsibility for
the content of the national page is assumed by the individual CEN members.
NOTE Part 2 of this CEN/TR gives the current situation at the date of publication. Considering that national
legislation/regulations may have changed in the countries involved since that date it is up to individuals to check whether
the information is still accurate.
1 Scope
This part of the Technical Report contains the definition of "Functional Standardisation" in the context of
CEN/TC 234 and explains their relationship with relevant European Directives, national legislation and
national standards.
It is intended as a guideline for the national implementation of the functional European Standards elaborated
by CEN/TC 234 "Gas infrastructure".
2 CEN/TC 234 "functional standards"
2.1 Definition of the term "Functional standardization"
Within the framework of CEN there is a distinction between product related standardisation and function
related standardisation.
Functional standards specify function of technically complex systems, function meaning: "the work or activity
something is designed to do". The functional standards for gas infrastructure therefore cover the many
activities related to the creation of gas infrastructure systems, and to their proper operation and maintenance.
Therefore, the term functional refers in broad terms to all of the technical and operational activities necessary
to ensure that gas infrastructure systems fulfil their purpose, i.e. to provide a safe, continuous and reliable
supply of gas to consumers.
2.2 Content
The CEN/TC 234 functional standards shall specify the common appropriate principles, taking the form of:
recommendations, requirements, and the recognised practices concerning design, construction, operation and
maintenance, all for the safety and integrity of gas infrastructure systems. This does not preclude the
possibility of introducing detailed technical requirements/specifications providing consensus can be reached
between the members of CEN/TC 234.
Such details can include:
 precise physical limitation;
 pressure levels;
 temperature ranges;
 type of gas;
 relationship with codes of practice and/or national detailed standard or specification.
It is the aim of CEN/TC 234 to extend the details contained in the standards as they are revised over the years
respecting the objective of CEN to harmonise technical standards on a European and international level.
The functional standards of CEN/TC 234 are established within the framework of the EC Directive 93/38
following the EC standardisation mandate M/017. Directive 93/38 is now superseded by "DIRECTIVE
2004/17/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 31 March 2004 coordinating the
procurement procedures of entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors".
More recently CEN/TC 234 has had to consider the objectives of "DIRECTIVE 2009/73/EC OF THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 13 July 2009 concerning common rules for the
internal market in natural gas and repealing Directive 2003/55/EC (the revision of 98/30/EC). The primary
objective of this Directive is to open the European natural gas market to competition while maintaining safe
and reliable networks. To achieve this it is necessary to ensure interoperability between different networks.
Networks designed, built and maintained to CEN/TC 234 functional standards will ensure this interoperability
objective is achieved.
3 Relationship between CEN/TC 234 functional standards and national standards
European gas infrastructure standards have b
...