(1)

In accordance with Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), personal protective equipment that is in conformity with harmonised standards or parts thereof, the references of which have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, is to be presumed to be in conformity with the essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex II to that Regulation covered by those standards or parts thereof.

(2)

By Commission Implementing Decision C(2020)7924 (3), the Commission made a request to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (Cenelec) to revise and to complete the work on harmonised standards in support of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 to ensure that they continue to reflect the generally acknowledged state of the art in order to meet the essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex II to that Regulation.

(3)

Implementing Decision C(2020)7924 has been amended by Commission Implementing Decision C(2024)2750 (4) in order to adapt the scope of the request by adding and removing certain standards to take into account the latest technical and scientific progress, as well as the latest developments of standardisation activities at international and European levels, and to extend the deadline of standardisation activities in relation to certain standards and draft standards as the work on some of them could not be completed by the deadlines set in Implementing Decision C(2020) 7924.

(4)

On the basis of the request set out in Implementing Decision C(2020)7924, Cenelec revised standard EN 50365:2002, the reference of which was not previously published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This resulted in the adoption of the harmonised standard EN 50365:2023 on electrically insulating helmets for use on low and medium voltage installations.

(5)

On the basis of the request set out in Implementing Decision C(2020)7924, CEN revised the following harmonised standards, the references of which are published in the Official Journal of the European Union by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941 (5): EN 360:2002 on retractable type fall arresters, EN 564:2014 on accessory cord for mountaineering equipment, EN 12841:2006 on rope adjustment devices, EN 12941:1998 as amended by EN 12941:1998/A1:2003 and EN 12941:1998/A2:2008 on requirements, testing and marking of powered filtering devices incorporating a helmet or a hood, EN 12942:1998 as amended by EN 12942:1998/A1:2002 and EN 12942:1998/A2:2008 on requirements, testing and marking of powered filtering devices incorporating full face masks, half masks or quarter masks, EN 14058:2017 on garments for protection against cool environments, EN ISO 20345:2022 on safety footwear, EN ISO 20346:2014 on protective footwear and EN ISO 20347:2012 on occupational footwear.

(6)

As a result, CEN adopted the following standards: EN 360:2023, EN 564:2023, EN 12841:2024, EN 12941:2023, EN 12942:2023, EN 14058:2017+A1:2023, the amendment EN ISO 20345:2022/A1:2024, EN ISO 20346:2022 as amended by EN ISO 20346:2022/A1:2024, and EN ISO 20347:2022 as amended by EN ISO 20347:2022/A1:2024.

(7)

The Commission, together with CEN, has assessed whether the standards and amendments thereto, comply with the request set out in Implementing Decision C(2020)7924.

(8)

The following harmonised standards and the amendments thereto satisfy the essential health and safety requirements which they aim to cover and which are set out in Regulation (EU) 2016/425: EN 360:2023, EN 564:2023, EN 12841:2024, EN 12941:2023, EN 12942:2023, EN 14058:2017+A1:2023, the amendment EN ISO 20345:2022/A1:2024, EN ISO 20346:2022 as amended by EN ISO 20346:2022/A1:2024, EN ISO 20347:2022 as amended by EN ISO 20347:2022/A1:2024 and EN 50365:2023. It is therefore appropriate to publish the references of those harmonised standards and amendments thereto in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(9)

Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941 provides the references of harmonised standards conferring a presumption of conformity with Regulation (EU) 2016/425. In order to ensure that the references of harmonised standards drafted in support of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 are listed in one act, the references of those standards and of the amendments thereto should be included in that Annex.

(10)

It is necessary to withdraw the reference of harmonised standards EN 360:2002, EN 564:2014, EN 12841:2006, EN 12941:1998 as amended by EN 12941:1998/A1:2003 and EN 12941:1998/A2:2008, EN 12942:1998 as amended by EN 12942:1998/A1:2002 and EN 12942:1998/A2:2008, EN 14058:2017, EN ISO 20345:2022, EN ISO 20346:2014 and EN ISO 20347:2012 from the Official Journal of the European Union, given that those standards have been revised. It is therefore appropriate to delete theses references from Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941.

(11)

In order to give manufacturers sufficient time to prepare for the application of the revised standards, it is necessary to defer the withdrawal of the reference of harmonised standards EN 360:2002, EN 564:2014, EN 12841:2006, EN 12941:1998 as amended by EN 12941:1998/A1:2003 and EN 12941:1998/A2:2008, EN 12942:1998 EN 14058:2017, EN ISO 20345:2022, EN ISO 20346:2014 and EN ISO 20347:2012.

(12)

Harmonised standards EN 166:2001, EN 169:2002, EN 170:2002, EN 172:1994 as amended by EN 172:1994/A1:2000 and EN 172:1994/A2:2001, and EN 379:2003+A1:2009 on personal eye-protection have been revised by CEN and their references have been included in the Annex II to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941 with 11 November 2024 indicated as the date of withdrawal. The new standards, which cover a wide range of products for eye and face protection for occupation use, updated the test methods of the previous standards, increased the number of test configurations for a single product by introducing new head forms, introduced new requirements for the marking of products, and new technical requirements, such as resistance against radiant heat, high mass impact, chemicals, electrostatic properties, etc. Consequently, manufacturers need more time to adapt their production for it to comply with the new standards. Moreover, notified bodies and testing laboratories are required to adapt the test methods. It is therefore appropriate to postpone the date of withdrawal of harmonised standards EN 166:2001, EN 169:2002, EN 170:2002, EN 172:1994 as amended by EN 172:1994/A1:2000 and EN 172:1994/A2:2001 and EN 379:2003+A1:2009 for an additional year. While the revised standards bring significant changes to some of the applicable substantive requirements, this postponement is not expected to have a detrimental effect on the safety levels of the concerned products as the revised standards mainly improve the test procedures. The rows in Annex II to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941 concerning the harmonised standards EN 166:2001, EN 169:2002, EN 170:2002, EN 172:1994 as amended by EN 172:1994/A1:2000 and EN 172:1994/A2:2001 and EN 379:2003+A1:2009 should therefore be replaced.

(13)

Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(14)

Compliance with a harmonised standard confers a presumption of conformity with the corresponding essential requirements set out in Union harmonisation legislation from the date of publication of the reference of such standard in the Official Journal of the European Union. This Decision should enter into force on the day of its publication,

(1)

Annex I is amended in accordance with Annex I to this Decision;

(2)

Annex II is amended in accordance with Annex II to this Decision.