This European Standard specifies minimum structural requirements for freight wagon bodies and associated specific equipment such as: roof, side and end walls, door, stanchion, fasteners and attachments. It defines also special requirements for the freight wagon bodies when the wagon is equipped with crashworthy buffers. It defines the loads sustained by vehicle bodies and specific equipment, gives material data, identifies its use and presents principles and methods to be used for design validation by analysis and testing. For this design validation, two methods are given: one based on loadings, tests and criteria based upon methods used previously by the UIC rules and applicable only for vehicle bodies made of steel; one based on the method of design and assessment of vehicles bodies given in EN 12663-1. For this method, the load conditions to be applied to freight wagons are given in this European Standard. They are copied in the EN 12663-1 in order to facilitate its use when applied to freight wagons. The freight wagons are divided into categories which are defined only with respect to the structural requirements of the vehicle bodies. Some freight wagons do not fit into any of the defined categories; the structural requirements for such freight wagons should be part of the specification and be based on the principles presented in this European Standard. The standard applies to all freight wagons within the EU and EFTA territories. The specified requirements assume operating conditions and circumstances such as are prevalent in these countries.