# Java Community Process (JCP)

> The Java Community Process (JCP) is the formal mechanism through which the Java platform specifications are created and evolved. Established in 1998, it allows Java community members — companies, organisations, and individuals — to participate in defining the future of ...

- URL: https://foojay.io/pedia/java-community-process-jcp/


The Java Community Process (JCP) is the formal mechanism through which the Java platform specifications are created and evolved. Established in 1998, it allows Java community members — companies, organisations, and individuals — to participate in defining the future of Java SE, Jakarta EE, and related specifications.

Changes to the Java platform specification are proposed as **Java Specification Requests (JSRs)**. A JSR defines an API or platform feature and goes through a multi-stage process: initiation, expert group formation, public drafts, a final ballot, and maintenance updates. Each JSR produces a specification document, a Reference Implementation (RI), and a TCK.

The JCP is managed by a **Program Management Office (PMO)** at Oracle and governed by an **Executive Committee (EC)** of elected and appointed members from the Java community. The EC votes on JSR approval and on process changes.

In practice, day-to-day evolution of the OpenJDK codebase (JVM improvements, library additions, language features) is primarily driven by [JEPs (JDK Enhancement Proposals)](https://foojay.io/pedia/jep-jdk-enhancement-proposal/) within the OpenJDK project, with the JCP serving as the formal standardisation layer. A significant language or API change will typically have both a JEP (for the implementation) and a JSR (for the specification), though these processes have become more tightly coupled in recent years.

More information: [jcp.org](https://jcp.org)

## See Also

* [JEP (JDK Enhancement Proposal)](/pedia/jep-jdk-enhancement-proposal/)
* [OpenJDK](/pedia/openjdk/)
* [OpenJDK Projects](/pedia/openjdk-projects/)