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Directive 2014/35/EU(the so-called Low Voltage Directive, or LVD for short) has regulated the provision of electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits within the European Union since 29 March 2014. It applies to electrical equipment with a voltage rating between 50 V and 1000 V (alternating current, AC) or 75 V and 1500 V (direct current, DC). The directive defines the basic safety requirements for electrical equipment in order to avoid hazards such as electric shock, overheating or fire.
As a regulation of the so-called "New Legislative Framework" the LVD defines only the essential requirements – detailed technical specifications for this are developed by the European standardisation organisations CEN and CENELEC in the scope of harmonised standards.
If a manufacturer's products subsequently comply with harmonised standards (or parts thereof) ‘the references of which have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union’ , then these products are presumed to conform to the safety objectives in accordance with Article 3 and Annex I of the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU. By affixing the CE marking, the manufacturer declares that the product meets the applicable requirements and is the visible consequence of a whole process that includes the conformity assessment in the broader sense.
Harmonised standards for the Low Voltage Directive in the EU Official Journal
A publication of harmonised standards as references in the EU Official Journal for the LVD occurs at irregular intervals by means of so-called implementing decisions, which amend the existing list of harmonised standards for Directive 2014/35/EU.
Within the framework of such a decision standards created on behalf of the Commission are added. This can be done by adding new standards that are listed in the EU Official Journal for the first time, or by including direct successor documents if the predecessor standard no longer corresponds to the state of the art and had to be adapted to changed requirements. An ad hoc adjustment at short notice can also be made via amending standards, which only include a targeted adjustment of a specific section of the ‘basic standard’.
When new successor standards are adopted, the predecessors are removed from the EU Official Journal after a transitional period. This is currently 18 months in order to give manufacturers sufficient time to adapt to the changed safety and health requirements.
Don't miss any news on standards and publications relating to the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU
Updates in the Official Journal
Below we have listed the implementing decisions with amended standard data for the Low Voltage directive, which contains the most important information as well as a link to the full text of the legal act.
The list of harmonized standards which give presumption of conformity for the Directive on Low Voltage (2014/35/EU) was updated on 2024-10-31:
EU Official Journal: C/2024/7489Publication date: 2024-10-31Legal basis: Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU)
SUCCESSORS: The standard EN IEC 60335-2-51:20233 was published as a direct successor standard.AMENDED: Amendment documents were published for 4 standards.REMOVED (WITH TRANSITIONAL PERIOD): The standard EN 60335-2-51:2003 incl. amendments will be withdrawn with a transition period until 30 April 2026.
SAFEXPERT-USER:
On the Safexpert LiveServer all adjustments have already been made available
The list of harmonized standards which give presumption of conformity for the Directive on Low Voltage (2014/35/EU) was updated on 2024-04-23:
EU Official Journal: C/2024/2574Publication date: 2024-04-23Legal basis: Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU)
NEW: Standard EN 50626-2:2023 was included in the EU Official Journal for the first time:SUCCESSORS: Direct successor standards have been published for 2 standardsAMENDED: Amendment documents have been published for 3 standardsREMOVED (WITH TRANSITIONAL PERIOD): 3 standards will be removed with a transitional period as of 24 October 2025
Notes:
The list of harmonized standards which give presumption of conformity for the Directive on Low Voltage (2014/35/EU) was updated on 2023-12-13:
EU Official Journal: C/2023/8263Publication date: 2023-12-13Legal basis: Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU)SUCCESSOR: EN IEC 60335-2-24:2022 (incl. A11:2022) was published as successor standardREMOVED (WITH TRANSITIONAL TIME): 76 standards incl. amendmends will be removed with transition period as per 2025-06-13
The list of harmonized standards which give presumption of conformity for the Directive on Low Voltage (2014/35/EU) was updated on 2022-03-17:
EU Official Journal: C/2023/1599Publication date: 2022-03-17Legal basis: Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU)SUCCESSOR: For 1 standard a direct successor was publishedAMENDED: For 3 standards an amendments were publishedREMOVED (WITH TRANSITIONAL TIME): 1 standards incl. amendmends will be removed with transition period as per 2024-09-17
The list of harmonized standards which give presumption of conformity for the Directive on Low Voltage (2014/35/EU) was updated on 2023-01-11:
EU Official Journal: C/2023/207Publication date: 2022-01-11Legal basis: Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU)NEW: 1 Standard was published in the Official Journal for the first timeSUCCESSOR: For 3 standards direct successors were publishedAMENDED: For 1 standard an amendment was publishedREMOVED (WITH TRANSITIONAL TIME): 3 standards will be removed with transition period as per 2024-07-11
The list of harmonized standards which give presumption of conformity for the Directive on Low Voltage (2014/35/EU) was updated on 2022-05-10:
EU Official Journal: C/2022/2922Publication date: 2022-05-10Legal basis: Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU)NEW: 3 Standards were published in the Official Journal for the first timeSUCCESSOR: For 14 standards direct successors were publishedAMENDED: For 6 standards amendments were publishedREMOVED (WITH TRANSITIONAL TIME): 14 standards will be removed with transition period as per 2023-11-10
The list of harmonized standards which give presumption of conformity for the Directive on Low Voltage (2014/35/EU) was updated on 2022-03-10:
EU Official Journal: C/2022/1278Publication date: 2021-12-21Legal basis: Directive on Low Voltage (2014/35/EU)NEW: 1 Standard was published in the Official Journal for the first timeSUCCESSOR: For 5 standards direct successors were publishedAMENDED: For 5 standards amendments were publishedREMOVED (WITH TRANSITIONAL TIME): 5 standards will be removed with transition period as per 2023-09-10
The list of harmonized standards which give presumption of conformity for the Directive on Low Voltage (2014/35/EU) was updated on 2021-12-21:
EU Official Journal: C/2021/9476Publication date: 2021-12-21Legal basis: Directive on Low Voltage (2014/35/EU)NEW: 2 Standards were published in the Official Journal for the first timeSUCCESSOR: For 12 standards direct successors were publishedAMENDED: For 10 standards amendments were publishedREMOVED (WITH TRANSITIONAL TIME): 12 standards will be removed with transition period as per 2023-12-22
The list of harmonized standards which give presumption of conformity for the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU was updated on 2021-06-22. Strictly speaking the Commission Implementing Decision 2019/1956 was replaced by the Implementing Decision 2021/1015
Official Journal of the EU: C/2021/4340Publication Date: 2021-06-22Legal basis: Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EUNEW: 1 standard was published for the first timeSUCCESSOR: For 2 standards direct successors were publishedAMENDED: For 7 standards amendments were publishedREMOVED (With transition period): 4 standards will be removed with transition period as per 12/22/2022.
Specialties oft he Commission Implementing Decision:
The list of harmonized standards which give presumption of conformity for the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU was updated on 2020-11-30. Strictly speaking the Commission Implementing Decision 2019/1956 was replaced by the Implementing Decision 2020/1779
Official Journal of the EU: C/2020/8341Publication Date: 2020-11-30Legal basis: Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU
SUCCESSOR: For 2 standards direct successors were publishedAMENDED: For 7 standards amendments were publishedREMOVED (With transition period): 2 standards will be removed with transition period as per 05/30/2022.
The list of harmonized standards which give presumption of conformity for the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU was updated on 2020-08-03. Strictly speaking the Commission Implementing Decision 2019/1956 was replaced by the Implementing Decision 2020/1146
Official Journal of the EU: C/2020/5302Publication Date: 2020-08-03Legal basis: Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU
NEW: 3 Standards were published in the Official Journal for the first time
SUCCESSOR: For 8 standards direct successors were published
AMENDED: For 27 standards amendments were published
REMOVED:
SAFEXPERT-USERS:
Specialties oft the Commission Implementing Decision:
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