What makes a Harmonized Standard?

Many folks wonder why some standards are called "Harmonized."  I have a good explanation of the process that leads to the label "Harmonized" for European standards.  You can read it at StandardsForum.com.  Here's the link:

http://standardsforum.com/makes-harmonized-standard/

FYI:  It's a European Standard that is developed by the direct request of the European Commission.  If the Commission asks for a specific standard to support compliance with a Directive, the resulting document is going to be a Harmonized Standard.  However, even after the standard is completed and published as an EN, it still has to be reviewed by regulators.  When they confirm that the standard meets the mandate of the Directive, the document's acceptance is published in the Official Journal of the European Union.  At that moment, it is added to the List of Harmonized Standards!