This European Standard provides a reference of 40 competences as required and applied at the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) business related workplace, using a common language for competences, skills and proficiency levels that can be understood across Europe. As the first sector-specific implementation of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), this European Standard aligns its proficiency levels to the EQF learning levels. This European Standard was created for application by: • ICT service, user and supply organizations, • ICT professionals, managers and human resource (HR) departments, • vocational education institutions and training bodies including higher education, • social partners (trade unions and employer association), professional associations, accreditation, validation and assessment bodies, • market analysts and policy makers, and other organizations and stakeholders in public and private sectors.