‘In our day-to-day life, we make use of household appliances that facilitate our lives, therefore, the importance of standards is evident not only for small appliances such as small kitchen utensils (toasters, blenders, cookers…), but also to white goods (refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines…) and personal hygiene devices (hairdryers, electric toothbrushes, shavers…) in order to ensure a high level of performance and safety for these products.
These products are governed by the Ecodesign Framework Directive (2009/125/EC) which is being replaced by Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation [ESPR] (EU) 2024/1781 as well as Energy Labelling Framework Regulation (EU) 2017/1369
In addition, these products are regulated by specific European legislation such as the Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU) and the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) to ensure that household appliances placed in the European market fulfil certain requirements.’
Safety of electrical household appliances
European standardization activities for the electrical safety of household and similar electrical appliances are developed by CLC/TC 61 ‘Safety of household and similar electrical appliances'. Industry actively supports the activities of CENELEC in this area through ‘Home Appliance Europe’ (APPLiA), active in CLC/TC 61 and its various Working Groups.
In the frame of the Frankfurt Agreement between IEC and CENELEC, CLC/TC 61 monitors the work of its international counterpart IEC/TC 61 in view of keeping as much as possible the European Standards aligned to the international ones. The standards on the safety of household and similar electrical appliances (embodied by the EN 60335 multi-part series) are continuously adapted to the latest technological changes.
By virtue of the work carried out by CLC/TC 61 Manufacturers, other economic operators or conformity assessment bodies, can use harmonized standards to demonstrate that products, services or processes comply with relevant European legislation like Directives on Low Voltage, Machinery, Pressure Equipment, Toys and Explosive Atmospheres.
For more information please contact Attila Unhauzer.
Performance of household and similar electrical appliances
Ten Technical Committees in CEN and a Joint CEN/CLC TC 17 ‘Gas Appliances with Combined Heat and Power’ develop standards on performance of different types of household and similar electrical appliances’.
CLC/TC 59X ‘Performance of household and similar electrical appliances’ prepares European Standards on methods of measurement for characteristics which are important to determine the performance of electrical appliances for household commercial use that are of interest for the user. This may include associated aspects related to the use of the appliances and aspects such as the classification, accessibility and usability of appliances, ergonomic characteristics and conditions for the information provided at the point of sale.
Moreover, CLC/TC 59X develops standards on the basis of requests from the European Commission to provide dedicated methods for measuring the energy performance against the compulsory values and thresholds laid down in the different ecodesign and/or energy labelling product-specific legislations
For more information please contact Joanna Frankowska.
