Which version of a standard should be applied?

The simple answer is: The latest version that has been approved and published. However, that may not be the only version that is applicable. When new versions of EN and EN ISO standards are published by the standardization institutes, the previous version may still be listed for a while in the Official Journal (OJ) of the EU and will normally retain its “assumption of conformity” for a while.

Why does the standards have time gap?

Standards are drawn up and issued by standardizations associations, which are not government authorities. They belong to the private sector.

After publication of a new version of a standard, the EU authorities discuss whether it should be added to the list of standards for the respective EU directive. Often several months pass, before the new version appears in the list of standards in the OJ.

Even more confusing, sometimes the old and the new version of the standard are both listed in the OJ. Then either of them can be an applied for a while and nonetheless justify CE Marking.

Which standard then should a manufacturer apply?

While there are differences of opinion concerning this, we would advise you to use the latest version that has been approved and published by the standardization association, because it represents the current state of recognized technical rules. However, do not apply preliminary or draft standards, because these often undergo further changes.

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