Looking Forward, Looking Back: EFESME Marks 20 Years Amid a Shifting Regulatory Landscape

In Madrid on April 24th, the tone was both reflective and urgent as industry stakeholders gathered to explore the evolving regulatory framework of the European lift sector. At the heart of the FEPYMA event dedicated to Spanish lift MEs, there was also a moment of reflection and celebration: the 20th anniversary of our Federation.

Between policy updates and standards discussions, the organisers dedicated a session of the FEPYMA event to recognise and talk about EFESME’s two decades of service to SMEs in the lift industry – a sector that, despite its crucial role in urban infrastructure, often is not entirely known and understood in its importance. In this context, EFESME has become a central actor in European dialogues on standardisation, competitiveness, and innovation, making true of its goal of giving small and medium-sized companies a collective voice in Brussels.

During this third event to mark this milestone, Luca Incoronato, EFESME’s Policy Officer, delivered a keynote speech grounded in the concrete regulatory challenges facing the lift sector today. It served as both a retrospective and a call to action.

Incoronato began by addressing the legal framework underpinning lift safety in Europe: Directive 2014/33/EU, which has governed the free movement and safety of lifts since its introduction. He highlighted that the European Commission is now considering whether the Directive should be replaced with a Regulation, a shift that would harmonise enforcement across Member States without the need for national transposition. The implication of such eventual replacement are vast – particularly for smaller companies that often struggle to keep pace with regulatory changes.

Beyond legislation, the focus turned to technical standardisation. Incoronato explained that harmonised standards – especially those under the EN 81 family – are undergoing major revisions as part of an alignment between CEN and ISO bodies. This transformation responds to global market pressures, but also raises concerns about transparency and inclusivity.

EFESME’s anniversary, then, became a platform to spotlight structural inequalities in standardisation. Of the many experts currently involved in drafting new technical standards for lifts, only a handful represent small and medium-sized enterprises, an aspect that remains problematic but which has no quick solution. This imbalance, as Incoronato noted, risks creating standards that fail to reflect the operational realities of smaller actors – undermining innovation and distorting fair competition.

Despite EU Regulation No. 1025/2012 foreseeing financial support for balanced participation, real access remains limited. EFESME, alongside partners such as SBS (Small Business Standards), continues to push for better funding and policy enforcement to address this gap. Encouragingly, Incoronato announced the upcoming inclusion of three new Spanish experts from AECAE in CEN working groups – an important step toward greater SME representation.

The keynote concluded not with statistics, but with a message: that the future of standardisation in the lift industry will be shaped not only by technical expertise, but by political will. EFESME’s first twenty years were marked by steady advocacy and coalition-building. The next twenty will demand even greater mobilisation – both nationally and across Europe – to ensure that SMEs are not left behind in a sector that is rapidly modernising.

As the anniversary was toasted with quiet pride, the takeaway was clear: celebration must go hand-in-hand with vigilance. The road ahead may be paved with regulatory complexity, but organisations like EFESME continue to ensure that even the smallest players in the lift sector have a strong voice – and a bright future.

A big thank you from EFESME to FEPYMA for the excellent organization of the event and the wonderful company. Events like this, held nationally and in direct contact with the elevator SMEs the Federation represents, are an effective and efficient way to formalize and inform them. ¡Gracias y hasta la próxima!

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 Read more about the previous event, in Paris HERE. For the next event in Rome, click HERE.

Read more about the EFESME 20th Anniversary and the related initiatives HERE.

 Contact the EFESME Secretariat at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any questions you may have on the event and/or the 20th Anniversary Celebrations!