June 1, 2020
By Elena Andreula, EMEA Regulatory Program Expert
European Union – Harmonized Standards Dates of Withdrawal
Electrical equipment which is in conformity with a harmonized European Standard (EN) cited in the Official Journal of the European Union may be presumed to be in conformity with the corresponding requirements of harmonization legislation.
New European harmonized standard editions or amendments become mandatory starting from the “Date of cessation of presumption of conformity of superseded standard” as published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Generally, this date is the same as the Date of Withdrawal (DOW) as published in the individual superseding standards.
This date marks the end of the period during which both the old and the new version of the standard can be used to claim presumption of conformity to the essential requirements of the relevant directive. After that date, presumption of conformity can no longer be claimed for a product manufactured according to the old version of the standard.
Here is a recent change in harmonized standard:
EN IEC 62031:2020 DOW 2022-12-18 supersedes EN 62031:2008/A1:2013/A2:2015
EN IEC 62031:2020 is in alignment with IEC 62031:2018 and deals with the safety requirements of light-emitting diode (LED) modules for general lighting.
This edition constitutes a technical revision and includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
- The scope was clarified as well as the wording in several other clauses
- The normative references were updated
- The definitions for replaceable LED module, non-replaceable LED module and non-user replaceable LED module were introduced while other definitions covered by IEC 62504 have been removed
- The marking clause was restructured and a table added to provide an informative overview
- The marking requirements for built-in LED modules were changed
- The entry for the marking with the working voltage was revised
- The provisions for terminals and heat management were revised
- Annex B was deleted
- Information for luminaire design with regard to working voltage and water contact was introduced
- An abnormal temperature test was introduced
CB Scheme – International Standard IEC
The CB Scheme is a vast international arrangement established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for mutual acceptance of test reports among participating certification organizations in the field of electrical and electronic equipment.
The CB Scheme is an international network of product certification organizations in more than 50 countries around the world.
The CB Scheme benefits product manufacturers and distributors engaged in international trade by providing:
- A single point of product testing for efficient global market access
- Global acceptance of test reports leading to national certification in CB Scheme member countries
- Unilateral acceptance of test reports in many developing countries that are not yet participating in the CB Scheme
On March 26, 2020, a new edition of the International Standard IEC 61547:2020 was published. It deals with electromagnetic immunity requirements and applies to lighting equipment including lamps, luminaires and modules.
This new third edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
- Extension of scope with end-user replaceable modules and the combination of end-user replaceable module and independent auxiliary
- Clarification of module testing in a host system
- Increased ESD and surge test levels for road and street lighting equipment
- introduction of ESD testing under normal operation and handling conditions
- Removal of line to ground surge test for self-ballasted lamps ≤ 25 W
How UL can help
We are expertly qualified to assist companies in demonstrating their products meet the essential requirements of EU directives and regulations and help customers to achieve compliance testing according to the applicable harmonized standards.
We also provide product certification marks such as the D-Mark, UL-EU and ENEC Marks. Widely recognized throughout Europe, the D-Mark, UL-EU and ENEC Marks are voluntary for appliances and demonstrate compliance of products with harmonized European standards verified by an independent third party. Therefore they could be complementary Marks to the mandatory CE marking which is based on a self-declaration.
In addition, we are one of the largest and most active CB Scheme members, and we operate four NCBs in different countries and over 50 CB Testing Laboratories (CBTLs) to provide local service with global coverage for our customers. Our NCBs in Denmark, the U.S., Japan and Canada, with CBTLs in all major regions, can assess your products to a broad range of IEC standards, with any relevant national or group differences.