Low Voltage Directive - Guidelines on application and recommendations
These Guidelines on the application of Directive 2006/95/EC (Electrical Equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits) - August 2007 - have been put together by the European Commission services and other stakeholders (industry, national authorities, standardisation and other bodies) to assist in the smooth and level application of the provisions of the Low Voltage Directive (LVD) 2006/95/EC. They are not law and do not take away the relevant responsibilities provided for, but explain in an understandable way various elements of the Directive.
- Foreword
- Introduction
- The "Low Voltage" Directive
- Scope of the "Low Voltage" Directive
- Safety requirements for placing on the EU market electrical equipment covered by the "Low Voltage" Directive
- Conformity Assessment Procedures under the "Low Voltage" Directive
- Relationship between the "Low Voltage" Directive and certain other Community Directives
- Annexes
Guidelines on the application of the directive - download the full guidelines 
[439 KB]
A List with examples of products within or outside the scope of LVD [89 KB] has been confirmed during the LVD-Working party meeting on 17 April 2007.
LVD WP DOCUMENTS
The Working Party (LVD WP) is the working party to deal with general policy issues related to the management and implementation of the Directive, chaired by the Commission and involving Member States, Standardisers, Notified Bodies, Industry and other interested parties.
LVD WP Documents are not legally binding. They aim at clarifying certain provisions or elements of the Directive.
Documents adopted or endorsed by LVD WP:
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Obligation to put the two digits of the year in the Declaration of Conformity [21 KB]
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New declaration of ADCO on child appealing appliances [32 KB]
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Socket outlet with switch [33 KB]
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Legal Framework for the placing on the market of Electric vehicles and related equipment. [22 KB]
LVD ADCO DOCUMENTS
The Administrative Co-operation Working Group (LVD ADCO) is an independent Working Group run and chaired by the Member States. The Group is a forum for co-operation and exchange of information between national market surveillance authorities.
LVD ADCO Documents include Recommendations issued by LVD ADCO WG and Reports of cross border market surveillance projects. These documents are not legally binding. They do not necessarily represent the opinion of the European Commission or the LVD WP. If and when they are applied by market surveillance authorities, the provisions and principles of Article 9 of the LVD shall be respected.
Existing ADCO Recommendations
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Recommendation on General Issues - November 2010 [14 KB]
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Recommendation regarding Child-Appealing Household Appliances - November 2008 [24 KB]
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Recommendation Hot surfaces (16.08.2010)* [71 KB]
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Recommendation on LED replacement tubes - 7 February 2011 [145 KB]
Past ADCO Recommendations
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Recommendations of the Administrative Co-operation Working Group (LVD ADCO) - 1997-2006 [103 KB]
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Declaration of the LVD ADCO Group - 14 November 2006 [10 KB]
ADCO Reports
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Final Report: "Cross Border Market Surveillance LVD ADCO - Luminaires 2006" [557 KB] ( press release 21/04/2008)
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ATLAS to uniformly discriminate between portable luminaries for children and adults [2 MB]
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Final report "LVD Market Surveillance Campaign 2007 : Electrical Safety of Cord Extension Sets" [492 KB]
*Statement from the European Commission with respect to the ADCO Recommendation on Hot Surfaces:
The Commission recommends to market surveillance authorities to postpone the application of the Recommendation on Hot Surfaces, until further discussions are held on this issue.
