(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 as amended by Implementing Decision C(2024)2750, 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 352-6:2020 on earmuffs with safety-related audio input, EN 352-8:2020 on entertainment audio earmuffs, EN 352-9:2020 on earplugs with safety-related audio input, EN 352-10:2020 on entertainment audio earplugs and EN 813:2008 on sit harnesses.

(5)

As a result, CEN adopted the following standards and the amendments thereto: EN 352-6:2020+A1:2024, EN 352-8:2020+A1:2024, EN 352-9:2020+A1:2024, EN 352-10:2020+A1:2024 and EN 813:2024.

(6)

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

(7)

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 352-6:2020+A1:2024, EN 352-8:2020+A1:2024, EN 352-9:2020+A1:2024, EN 352-10:2020+A1:2024 and EN 813:2024. It is therefore appropriate to publish the references of those harmonised standards and amendments thereto in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(8)

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.

(9)

It is necessary to withdraw the reference of harmonised standards EN 352-6:2020, EN 352-8:2020, EN 352-9:2020, EN 352-10:2020 and EN 813:2008 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.

(10)

It is also necessary to withdraw the reference of harmonised standard EN 175:1997 on equipment for eye and face protection during welding and allied processes from the Official Journal of the European Union, given that this standard has been withdrawn by CEN and replaced by EN ISO 16321-2:2021 the reference of which is published by Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/941.

(11)

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

(12)

In order to give manufacturers sufficient time to prepare for the application of the revised standard, it is necessary to defer the withdrawal of the reference of harmonised standards EN 175:1997, EN 352-6:2020, EN 352-8:2020, EN 352-9:2020, EN 352-10:2020 and EN 813:2008.

(13)

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,