The Low Voltage Directive for Electrical Cables

The Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU) is European Union legislation addressing the safety requirements for electrical cables manufactured to European harmonised standards with a voltage rating of 50V to 1000V for alternating current (AC) and 75V to 1500V for direct current (DC). This latest LVD 2014/35/EU supersedes that of 2006/95/EU and has been mandatory since April 2016. The requirements, revised under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations of 2016 to spread the obligations throughout the supply chain, affects manufacturers, importers, distributors and wholesalers, and has implications for other legislation including the CPR Directive of July 2017.

The compliance requirements for the Low Voltage Directive includes CE marking, denoting that the cable meets all relevant legal, health and safety requirements. Such legal requirements include the RoHS Directive, restricting the levels of hazardous substances within the cables – something The Cable Lab® assures compliance with through the testing under our BSI RoHS Trusted Kitemark and ISO17025 capabilities. Cables must also bear sheath markings identifying the manufacturer to aid supply chain traceability and through product packaging.

LV Directive Compliance

 

The Low Voltage Directive requires a comprehensive range of technical documentation to assert that the cable is suitable for sale on the European market. This includes an EC Declaration of Conformity which is held on file by the manufacturers and by our technical team.

There is no formal conformity assessment process to complete for the Low Voltage Directive prior to cables being made available for sale, but national authorities are tasked with ensuring compliance and preventing non-compliant, counterfeit marked cables making it into the wider supply chain.