In this contribution an overview is given about the recent evolution in the harmonization of codes and standards that apply for the design of piles, in particular the Eurocode 7. Based on the results of some design exercises, it is shown that differences between the output of the different national approaches remain huge. Several discrepancies of pile design standards and codes are identified. The authors then give an overview of some recent technical progresses with regard to piling equipment, testing, instrumentation and monitoring methods. They try to analyse how those advances can be taken into account in the codes and design practice. The concrete example of the recent evolution of the Belgian practice is explained, where an attempt is made to reward testing and proper monitoring.