The COVID-19 crisis causes a burden for companies that have to finish their testing and certification programs because of standards that will be superseded. Examples are the EN 60950-1:2006 and EN 60065 that are used for conformity testing of fire and security products for the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU.
Euralarm, therefore, urges to postpone the end date of the co-existence period of the EN 60950-1:2006 and EN 60065 with nine months.
Test houses and notified bodies affected by COVID-19
Like others, the fire safety and security industry has to deal with the exceptional circumstances that are caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic not only affects the members of Euralarm but also the external resources that work for them such as test houses and notified bodies.
As a result of the crisis the available (internal and external) resources are reduced significantly, causing delay and increasing project timescales.
Postponing LVD standards testing and certification
By the end of this year, the EN 62368-1 certification for the safety of electrical and electronic equipment will come into force
By the end of this year, the EN 62368-1 certification for the safety of electrical and electronic equipment within the field of audio, video, information and communication technology, will come into force. To make sure the existing products will comply with EN 62368-1 certification standards, many manufacturers have to convert and/or adapt the products.
Because of the COVID-19 crisis manufacturers have already postponed these conversion/adaption projects or are experiencing disruption of the internal testing programs. Others have been informed that outsourced testing would not be performed according to the planned schedule.
Meeting requirements of the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU
It is, therefore, quite impossible for manufacturers of fire safety and security products to have all their product portfolios compliant to the EN 62368-1:2014 certification standard, before the deadline of December 20th, 2020. This date was fixed by the European Commission long before the pandemic started.
In order to allow these companies to finish their testing and certification programs and therefore, guarantee that the products will fulfill the essential requirements of the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU (Commission Communication 2018/C 326/02 of 14.09.2018), Euralarm has urged the European Commission to consider postponing the end date of the co-existence period from December 20, 2020 to September 20, 2021.