This European Standard specifies the performance requirements which external blinds shall fulfil when fitted to a building. It deals also with the significant hazards for construction, transport, installation, operation and maintenance of the external blinds (see list of significant machine hazards in annex B). It applies to all external blinds as well as similar products whatever their design and nature of the materials used, as follows and defined in EN 12216: - folding arm awning, trellis arm awning, pivot arm awning, slide arm awning, vertical roller awning, marquisolette, facade awning, skylight awning, conservatory awning, Dutch awning, insect screen awning; - solar screen.