RAL and Pantone serve different market, at least from my Europe-adjacent POV. Pantone is more used in print and branded sign design (like, colored plastic) as brandbooks typically specify Pantone colors. RAL is more industrial-oriented: it's more constrained but supported by manufacturers of industrial paints and coatings. Like, you buy coated corrugated metal sheets for your roof in RAL, and often can order paints by RAL code in your hardware store.

Widely used in the EU, not just Germany.