Acting on authority of AFNOR, AFG is now in charge of the BNG which is responsible for:
- drawing up and maintaining French reference standards
- organizing the defence of French industrialists in the establishment of European and international standards
- information and technical watch concerning the regulations or standards applicable in the field of gas, in all the sectors of treatment, transportation, storage, distribution and various uses of gas (ministerial decree December 10, 1997).

Functioning
The work of the BNG is carried out within the framework of the standardization commission (see chart) and under the aegis of two General Commissions: on one hand the General Commission for treatment, transportation, storage and distribution (BNG-TTSD) and on the other, the General Commission for uses (BNG-U).
In this context, each standardization commission is in charge of a specific field according to type of products or activities. The commissions are made up of representatives of appliance or equipments manufacturers, gas companies, public authorities and consumers.

Standardization commissions
The commissions of the BNG are the preferential structures for the defence of industrialists in each specific field. Their essential aim is, among other things, to develop the French positions which will later be upheld in European or international meetings by experts and BNG engineers.
Often, they mirror the positions of a technical committee dependent on the CEN (Comité Européen de Normalisation) or on ISO (International Standard Organization), which are in charge of setting the standards.
Each commission is independently organized with experts working on a subject which will eventually develop into one or several projects. According to the priorities, each commission will, in turn, draw or follow up the projects.

The BNG acts as the secretary for the different technical workshops which the CEN or ISO committees have entrusted with the drawing or revision of standards. It also acts as the secretary for the corresponding European authorities dealing with uses of gas: the CEN Forum Gas utilisation: SFG-U (Forum Sectoriel Gazier Utilisations).

BNG directions for use
The BNG allows industrialists and professionals of the gas field to access all the different commissions in all sectors and enables them to take part in setting the French, European or international standards.
Moreover, the BNG can offer the following services:
- General information on French, European or international standards.
- Information on the evolution and innovations in the field of standards.
- Technical comments on standards or any project of standards.