Joanna Kobus CORROSION PROTECTION OF STEEL STRUCTURES BY PROTECTIVE PAINT SYSTEMS ACCORDING TO EU STANDARDS European standards relating to corrosion protection for steel structures by protective paint systems in atmospheric conditions, in soil and water were presented. <...> Standards contain basic as complete as possible data necessary to assure effective corrosion protection for owners of structure, planners, consultants, companies carrying out protection work , inspectors and manufacturers of coating materials. <...> Scope of this data covers: classification of environment corrosivity, design considerations, surface preparation before painting, selection of protective paint systems, laboratory test methods, execution and supervision of paint work and development of specifications for new work and maintenance. <...> Key words: standardisation, corrosion protection, steel structures, paint systems. main INTRODUCTION The majority of structures are subjected on four groups of corrosion factors: atmospheric, mechanical, contact with water (the most often electrolytes) as well as contact with soil. <...> The intensity of risks depends on kind of object as well as the corrosivity of environment, sometimes different surface of this same objects can be subjected on different intensity every of mentioned environments. <...> In modern anticorrosive protection the process of durability and safety assurance should be included the number of elements influencing on the project, selection of materials and the technology of protection works realisation. <...> The most important from them are: • environment of exploitation of objects, • kind of objects utilisation, • suitability of construction, • foreseen the durability protection, • the properties of materials, • the guarantees of quality of materials and the realisation, • the costs of expenditures and the corrosive losses. <...> Omission the one of mentioned elements or not proof in realisation of protection process the appropriate care can be the reason of the durability decreasing in relation to expectation or requirements, enlargement the expenditures on maintenance or the lowering the values of usable constructions. <...> From the second side the use of excessive methods of protection in relation to risks raises the costs unnecessarily and can sometimes be outright harmful for durability of protection ( e.g. to thick coating). <...> All most important data concerning anticorrosion protection of steel structures are captured in suitable standards: of objects and the • EN-ISO 12944 - Paint and Varnishes-Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems; • EN ISO 8504-1:2000 - Preparation of steel substrates before application <...>