As an indispensable element in festive decoration and celebration events, the colorful lighting always adds warmth and joy to the scene. However, the lighting line products must meet strict safety and environmental requirements during use, especially when exporting to the EU market. EU countries have set a number of quality standards for importing European lighting line products to ensure that these products are not harmful to human safety and the environment during use. This article will detail the quality requirements that exporting EU lighting line products need to meet, hoping to help relevant exporting companies.

Main Risk Analysis

d) Electricity risks

One of the most important risks of LED products is the risk of electric shock.The main factors that trigger the risk of electric shock include:

1. Inadequate mechanical strength:If the mechanical strength of the shell of the electronic control device of the lamp string is not sufficient, the product may cause the user to be exposed to electrical components after exposure to external forces, resulting in a risk of electric shock.
2. Protection equipment is unreasonable:The unreasonable protection device design of the power line may cause the power line to be easily dragged, thereby increasing the risk of electric shock to the user.
3. IP level is not sufficient:Especially for outdoor use, if its water-resistant, dust-resistant grade (IP grade) is insufficient, water or dust may enter the product, thereby increasing the risk of electric shock.
4. Isolation materials are not required:If the insulating material of the lamp string does not meet the standard requirements in terms of material or thickness, it may cause the product to cause an electrical shock accident due to thermal deformation during use.

d) Risks of burns and fires

Lightning products may also pose a risk of burns and fires if they do not meet safety standards during use:

1. The line is not standard:If the external and internal wires of the lamp string are too thin and do not meet the standard requirements, it may cause the wires to overheat during use, leading to burns or fire accidents.
2. Non-conformity of insulation materials:Poor-quality insulation materials may melt or burn at high temperatures, resulting in burns or fires.

Chemical and environmental risks

The chemical and environmental risks of light bulb products mainly stem from the harmful substances contained in the raw materials they use:

Excess harmful substances:The harmful substances such as short chain chlorine phosphorus wax, benzoate dioxide dioxide (2-ethanol) ester, lead and other harmful substances in the cable may pose a serious threat to the environment and human health if exceeded.

B. Relevant EU regulations and standards involved in the importation of European lighting strings

To prevent these risks, the EU has developed a number of regulations and standards for lightning products, which companies must strictly comply with when exporting to the EU.

Low Voltage Directive (LVD)

The Low Voltage Directive (LVD) is one of the most important laws in the European Unions electrical safety regulatory system. It applies to all electrical equipment that exchanges 50–1000V and direct current 75–1500V. The LVD Directive stipulates requirements to prevent the dangers of electrical equipment from direct and indirect action, mainly concerning exposure protection, overheat protection, radiation control, mechanical strength, overflow and overvoltage protection.

The applicable criteria:

• EN IEC 60598-1:2021 or EN IEC 60598-1:2021/A11:2022
• EN 60598-2-20:2015 or EN 60598-2-20:2015/AC:2017-01

In 2022, the European Organization for Standardization approved the new standard FprEN IEC 60598-2-20:2021, which is expected to replace the old version of the standard and become the new harmonised standard.

The RoHS Directive

The RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) aims to restrict the use of harmful substances in electronic electrical products to promote environmental protection and protect human health. Lightning products fall within the scope of the RoHS Directive, and manufacturers must ensure that lightning products placed on the EU market comply with the RoHS Directive requirements, including the content of harmful substances such as lead, magnesium, magnesium, hexagon, polymorphine, polymorphine and polymorphine does not exceed the limit values stipulated by the directive.

The key requirements:

• Compliance with the 10 toxic hazardous substances requirements of the RoHS Directive.
• Manufacturers must keep the relevant technical documentation and declaration of conformity for at least 10 years.

The Pops Regulations

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) refers to chemicals that are highly toxic and difficult to dissolve in the environment. EU POPs regulations restrict the use of persistent organic pollutants in a variety of industrial and consumer goods, and lamp series products need to pay particular attention to the risks of substances such as HBCDD and short-chain chlorophosphate wax (SCCP) that may be contained in their shells, wires and printed circuit boards (PCBs).

The key requirements:Prohibit or restrict the use of certain persistent, carcinogenic or toxic organic chemicals.

Response measures for export companies

In order to enter the EU market smoothly, the relevant exporters must take the following measures to ensure that the products meet the EU standards:

Timely attention to the latest EU standards

Companies should keep an eye on the latest standard requirements implemented by the EU, close contact with local customs, industry associations and professional bodies, and be informed in a timely manner of the content of new standards or standards changes, and effectively address emerging technological barriers to trade.

Make product self-examination

In the product design, sourcing of raw materials and manufacturing processes, enterprises should strictly ensure that the product quality complies with the relevant EU standards. Before exporting products, carry out strict self-inspection to ensure that the products can pass the EU technical standards, such as EN 60598 standard testing. At the same time, enterprises should do the CE certification of the product and obtain a third-party safety certification from the testing body.

Improving technology and R&D capacity

With the European Unions increasingly strict environmental protection and safety standards, lamp production enterprises should increase the research and use of green, recyclable materials, continuously improve the environmental performance and safety of products, and enhance the international competitiveness and reputation of Made in China lamps.

Conclusion

In order to meet the needs of the market, EU products must comply with strict safety and environmental standards. By mastering and complying with relevant regulations and standards, companies can not only reduce the risk of product compliance in the EU market, but also improve their competitiveness and brand image in the international market.