From Resilience to Regulation: Key Themes from the Euralarm General Assembly 2026

13 Aug 2026

A Look at What’s Ahead for the Life Safety and Security Industry

Earlier this summer, Intertek attended the Euralarm General Assembly Meeting and associated Fire and Security Section meetings in Munich, Germany. As a member of the Type 5 community within Euralarm, the leading European association representing the fire safety and security systems industry, Intertek participates in these meetings to stay at the forefront of regulatory and standards developments that matter to our customers. Several clear themes emerged from this year's event that are worth sharing.

Resilience As a Strategic Priority

A central message throughout the event was the growing importance of resilience. Life safety systems are no longer viewed in isolation but as part of a wider, interconnected resilience ecosystem. Organisations are increasingly required to consider the combined impact of fire safety, physical security, cybersecurity and operational continuity. With heightened geopolitical uncertainty, rising cyber threats and climate-related risks, organisations are shifting towards integrated, data-driven approaches to risk management. Technologies such as advanced detection, automation and real-time analytics are becoming key enablers of proactive resilience strategies.

Demographic Change and Emerging Technology

Europe’s ageing population was identified as one of the most significant long-term societal challenges facing the region. Discussions explored how technologies such as social alarms, remote monitoring, sensors and AI-enabled systems can support independent living while reducing pressure on healthcare systems.

A consistent message was that these technologies must remain user-centric, reliable and privacy-conscious. Appropriate standards and regulatory frameworks will be essential to underpin confidence in them.

Regulatory and Compliance Developments

Several sessions focused on the regulatory pipeline and its practical implications for manufacturers, testing organisations and end users. Key topics included:

• Ongoing developments to the Construction Products Regulation (CPR)
• The emergence of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) and its implications for product traceability and lifecycle information
• Increasing cybersecurity requirements for connected products and systems.

These changes will influence how products are designed, tested and brought to market, making early engagement with compliance strategies essential.

Standards in Focus: Fire and Security

Standardisation efforts are accelerating to keep pace with innovation. Areas such as video fire detection, multi-sensor technologies, interoperability, sustainability and cybersecurity are under active development. These evolving standards highlight the growing need for robust testing and certification frameworks to ensure performance, reliability and regulatory alignment.

From the Fire Section, notable discussions covered CPR guidance, video fire detection certification pathways, wind turbine fire protection and ongoing work to address false alarm rates and system compatibility.

From the Security Section, progress was reported across several key standards, including IEC 60839-7-9, IEC 62642-1, EN 50131-1, EN 50131-5-3 and EN 50130-4. One area of particular focus was the challenge manufacturers face in updating products to meet 6 GHz testing requirements under EN 50130-4. Cloud connectivity and the cybersecurity requirements for remote technology also featured prominently in discussions.

Looking Ahead

The overarching direction of travel is clear: greater integration between safety and security disciplines, higher cybersecurity expectations, evolving regulation and rapid technology change. Navigating this landscape requires staying close to the standards and regulatory developments that will shape market access and product compliance in the years ahead.

Intertek remains actively engaged in these conversations through our participation in Euralarm and wider industry bodies. As the regulatory and technical landscape continues to evolve, our testing, inspection and certification experts are here to help you stay ahead, whether that's understanding your obligations under the CPR or DPP, meeting cybersecurity requirements for connected systems, or preparing for the next generation of detection technology standards.