A Guidance document on the Low Voltage Directive transition from 2006/95/EC to 2014/35/EU is now available, with a list of frequently asked questions and answers.

This document is preliminary, pending finalisation of the revised Blue Guide (planned for end of 2015) and the LVD Guidelines (planned for mid-2016).

This document states:
“. . . . the main changes in the new Directive 2014/35/EU with respect to the previous Directive 2006/95/EC are quite limited, and do not concern the most substantial characteristics of the act that remain the same: scope, safety objectives, conformity assessment procedure.”
The main changes are the following:

 

  • New Directive reference number
  • Definitions updated in-line with the NLF
  • Economic operators, and their obligations, defined as:
  1. Manufacturers,
  2. Authorised representatives,
  3. Importers,
  4. Distributors
  • Harmonised standards and presumption of conformity: reference to Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012
  • CE marking: reference to Regulation (EC) No 765/2008
  • Market surveillance and safeguard procedure: reinforced activities and new simplified procedures
  • Commission Implementing Decisions on formal objections against harmonised standards and safeguard clauses against products: reference to Regulation (EU) No 182/2011
  • More detailed contents for the declaration of conformity, (Annex IV)