EU · Directive 2014/35/EU
Electrical safety within the Low Voltage Directive
Identify the market and product category first. Each dossier separates legal duties, referenced standards, evidence and the comparison needed for an award.
Product Scope
Electrical equipment designed for 50–1,000 V AC or 75–1,500 V DC, subject to Annex II exclusions. Radio equipment follows RED safety provisions without these voltage limits. A low-voltage DC product is not automatically exempt from general product safety.
Requirements
Control electrical contact, insulation, temperature, fire, mechanical and foreseeable overload hazards under Annex I. Select the correct appliance, luminaire, ICT, measurement or industrial standard, its particular part and national conditions. Standards cited in the Official Journal can support a presumption of conformity; a newer IEC edition alone does not establish that presumption.
Required Evidence
Provide full safety reports with product photographs, critical components, circuit diagrams, operating modes and abnormal tests; technical documentation, EU declaration and CE marking. LVD uses internal production control rather than mandatory notified-body certification. GSQA separately checks the laboratory’s scope and test location.
Comparison for the Awards
Only compare a relevant quantitative requirement under identical voltage, ambient conditions, configuration and test method. Passing dielectric, access-probe or abnormal-operation tests is not a general safety score; larger test stress requires an established, safe interpretation.
Version & Transition
Applicable since 20 April 2016. Consult Implementing Decision 2023/2723 and its amendments for actual standard editions, restrictions and withdrawal dates, not a static list of EN families.
Official Sources
Applicability depends on the product classification, intended use, configuration and actual sales territory. Manufacturing, placing-on-the-market and testing dates, together with transition provisions, are checked as required by each applicable rule. The directory identifies sources; it does not replace assessment of the specific model. Standards are identified by reference, and their authoritative texts remain with the issuing bodies. Official source documents retain their original language.