National and international terminology standards play an important role in improving communication among special language users and in enhancing knowledge transfer to the layperson. This paper gives an overview of Canadian practice and results in standardizing bilingual terminologies in a rapidly growing field, and of the ongoing efforts being made to achieve conceptual structuring and usage harmonization. It emphasizes the relevance of the user-oriented approach for the preparation of national standards and the usefulness, for various standard organizations, of coordinating work methods and sharing theoretical insights.