Last edit: 19/12/2025
Introduction
The Low Voltage Directive (LVD) is an EU directive that ensures electrical equipment is safe to use within certain voltage limits.
- It applies to electrical equipment operating between 50–1000 V AC and 75–1500 V DC.
- Its goal is to protect people, animals, and property from hazards such as electric shock, fire, and overheating.
- Manufacturers must design equipment according to essential safety requirements and demonstrate conformity.
- Compliant products carry the CE marking, allowing them to be sold freely in the EU.
In essence, the LVD sets the basic electrical safety rules for products placed on the European market.
Exempted Products
However, not all electric products fall under this directive, there are exceptions:
- Electrical parts for goods and passenger lifts, since they are covered by the Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU.;
- Electrical equipment for use in an explosive atmosphere, since it is covered by the ATEX-Directive 2014/34/EU
- Plugs and socket outlets for domestic use. The reason is that there is no harmonised household plug system throughout Europe and therefore these products have no relevance for the internal market. However: special plugs and socket outlets e.g. for appliance couplers or industrial purposes are not excluded,
Please be aware that the Declaration of Conformity according to the Machinery Directive shall not list the Low Voltage Directive (LVD) since the compliance according to the LVD is covered by the applicable RESS (e.g. 1.5.1).
[Guide to application of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC: edition 2.3 2024] §90 Specific EU legislation that apply instead of the Machinery Directive to machinery that is in their scope
[…] Electrical and electronic products that is not in any of the categories listed in Article 1(2) (k) of the MD but meet the definitions of Article 2 of the MD, shall comply with the MD. It should be noted that section 1.5.1 of Annex I to the MD requires the electrical aspects of machinery to meet the safety objectives of the LVD. [..] Thus, whilst machinery with an electrical supply, which is not in any of the categories listed in Article 1(2) (k) of MD, shall fulfil the safety objectives of the LVD, the manufacturer’s EC Declaration of conformity shall not refer to the LVD but to the MD.
But also, the following language.
[Guide to application of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC: edition 2.3 2024] §222 Electricity
[…] The second paragraph of section 1.5.1 makes the safety requirements of the Low Voltage Directive (LVD) 2014/35/EU (formerly Directive 2006/95/EC as amended) applicable to machinery, also all relevant harmonised Standards listed under the LVD are therefore applicable to machinery. The second sentence of this paragraph makes it clear that the procedures of the LVD relating to the placing on the market and putting into service are not applicable to machinery subject to the Machinery Directive. This means that the Declaration of conformity for machinery subject to the Machinery Directive shall not refer to the LVD.
No Notified Body required
Like for all European product Directive, Manufacturers shall ensure that products are fully compliant with the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSR) stated in the Annex I. To do that they need to prepare a Technical documentation, Declaration of Conformity and CE Marking.
However, manufacturers are not required to be established in the EU, and no indication of an “EU-resident” is required.
The same will apply to the Machinery Regulation, which will enter into force on 20 January 2027.
Moreover, the LVD does not require mandatory testing in recognised laboratories: Notified Bodies do not exist under LVD!
Presumption of Conformity
As with many EU Product Directive, compliance with a Harmonised Standard provides a Presumption of Conformity with the “PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS OF THE SAFETY OBJECTIVES FOR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT DESIGNED FOR USE WITHIN CERTAIN VOLTAGE LIMITS”, also referred to as “EHSR” of the Annex I.
Please be aware that the presumption of conformity is conferred only when the reference to the harmonised standard is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and it is limited to the harmonised standard itself. Guidance documents related to harmonised standards (e.g. OSM decisions) do not confer a presumption of conformity.
As indicated in Recital 16, the LVD lays down mandatory safety objectives that electrical equipment placed on the Union market must fulfil. European harmonised standards provide detailed technical solutions for complying with these safety objectives. Manufacturers applying harmonised standards may benefit from a presumption of conformity with the safety objectives they cover, however, the use of harmonised standards remains voluntary.
[2014/35/EU] Whereas (16).
This Directive should be limited to the expression of the safety objectives. In order to facilitate conformity assessment with those objectives it is necessary to provide for a presumption of conformity for electrical equipment which is in conformity with harmonised standards that are adopted in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on European Standardisation ( 1 ) for the purpose of expressing detailed technical specifications of those objectives.