Product Compliance And Certification For Vacuum Cleaner In The Eu

Scope and evidence must be confirmed before any paid tests or filings.

An EU vacuum-cleaner compliance file is a model-and-configuration decision, not a generic ‘CE certificate’. First classify how the vacuum obtains power and what it actually collects; then apply electrical, ecodesign, radio, chemical, waste and packaging rules independently. The key trap is that the EU vacuum energy label was annulled, while ecodesign Regulation 666/2013 continues to apply to qualifying mains-operated models.

Which vacuum cleaner do you actually have?

Use the real function and power architecture, not the retail name. A charging dock does not automatically make its battery-only robot a mains-operated vacuum. Conversely, a model that cleans from both a mains connection and a battery is a hybrid under Regulation 666/2013.

Product configuration	Classification and next question
Corded dry household or professional housekeeping vacuum	Normally within 666/2013; commercial use alone does not make it “industrial”. Decide whether nozzles make it general-purpose, carpet-only or hard-floor-only.
Corded/battery hybrid	Included in the ecodesign scope; retain evidence for both operating modes. A battery-powered brush head alone does not make a mains vacuum battery-only.
Cordless stick or autonomous robot	Battery-only vacuums and robot vacuums are excluded from 666/2013; other EU safety, EMC/RED, RoHS, battery and waste regimes still require assessment.
Wet, wet-and-dry, central, outdoor or industrial unit	Excluded from this particular ecodesign regulation when its legal definition is met. For “wet-and-dry”, check its designed liquid capacity against the >2.5-litre definition; marketing wording is insufficient.
Water-filter dry vacuum or unusual accessory	A water-filter dry vacuum is not automatically a wet vacuum. Check the definitions, filtration medium, nozzles, charger, detachable battery and intended use separately.

The Commission’s non-binding vacuum guidance also treats corded handheld desk cleaners, mattress-only cleaners and dedicated cold-ash cleaners as outside Regulation 666/2013 because they do not perform its ordinary floor/carpet-cleaning function. This is a functional assessment, not a blanket exemption for every compact cleaner: record intended surfaces, supplied nozzles and advertised uses.

For Regulation 666/2013, Annex II point 9 requires measurements with mains power (and only any batteries powering an active nozzle); assess battery-mode safety separately.

Decision matrix: which EU rules attach to the model?

The following is a screening matrix, not a declaration that every row always applies. An exclusion under one instrument never removes obligations under another.

Legal layer	When to assess	What to verify
Ecodesign 666/2013 / ESPR transition	Mains-operated dry vacuums including hybrids; statutory exclusions need proof	Apply Annex I/II performance and information rules; the ESPR framework 2024/1781 preserves existing implementing measures until replaced.
LVD 2014/35/EU + EMC 2014/30/EU	Commonly a wired 230 V cleaner and in-scope mains charger; EMC assessment also for non-radio electrical apparatus	Check voltage boundaries (50–1,000 V AC or 75–1,500 V DC for LVD), electrical hazards and interference. An external supply may have its own compliance file. For an appliance designed for commercial or industrial use, assess the Machinery Directive separately before attributing finished-machine safety to LVD.
Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC; Regulation 2023/1230 transition	Professional/commercial or industrial powered machines, including cleaners built for hotel cleaning, may fall under machinery legislation; household appliances intended for domestic use are excluded from the Machinery Directive.	Check declared intended use, machinery risk assessment and machinery declaration; do not assume the finished professional machine follows the same LVD route as a domestic appliance. Regulation 2023/1230 generally applies from 20 January 2027.
Off/standby/networked-standby Regulation 2023/826	Screen household cleaning equipment that is mains-dependent to operate as intended, including relevant low-power operating states; examine chargers/docks separately rather than automatically including every battery robot.	Where in scope, document off, standby or networked standby power and power management. The regulation generally applies from 9 May 2025; its Annex II and mains-dependence definitions control.
RED 2014/53/EU	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other intentional radio functionality	Assess complete radio equipment: safety without LVD voltage limits, EMC and spectrum; for internet-connected radio equipment screen applicable RED cybersecurity measures since 1 August 2025.
RoHS 2011/65/EU + REACH	Electrical/electronic components, plastics, cables, solders and supplied articles	Obtain material declarations and targeted evidence for restricted substances; screen relevant REACH substance obligations rather than treating a RoHS report as universal proof.
Batteries 2023/1542	Rechargeable packs in sticks, robots, hybrids or accessories	Map cell/pack category and battery obligations. Design now for the portable-battery removability/replaceability rules taking effect 18 February 2027, subject to statutory exceptions.
WEEE 2012/19/EU + packaging 2025/40	EEE sold in EU Member States, retail/transport packaging and cross-border sellers	Assess producer registration, take-back/financing, crossed-bin marking and local EPR; apply packaging rules by their respective dates, not a single universal EU registration.
GPSR 2023/988 + market surveillance 2019/1020	Consumer residual safety risks and relevant harmonised products	GPSR is complementary only for risks/provisions not covered; verify an EU-established responsible economic operator where Article 4 of 2019/1020 applies.
Right to repair — Directive 2024/1799	Consumer vacuum cleaners within 666/2013 and the repairability requirements listed in Annex II	Check the Article 5 repair-on-request duty only to the extent that the listed EU act imposes repairability requirements; the manufacturer may be followed by an EU representative, importer or distributor under the directive’s specified sequence. Verify Member State implementation from 31 July 2026. There is no duty to repair where repair is impossible.

The 666/2013 test gate for mains dry vacuums

For an in-scope mains-operated vacuum, the 1 September 2017 tier in Annex I of Regulation 666/2013 includes the following. These are not specifications for every robot, cordless or industrial vacuum:

Parameter	Threshold or documentary test
Input and energy	Rated input power <900 W; annual energy consumption <43.0 kWh/year, calculated by the prescribed method.
Pickup and emissions	Carpet dust pickup ≥0.75 unless hard-floor-only; hard-floor dust pickup ≥0.98 unless carpet-only; dust re-emission ≤1.00%.
Noise and durability	Sound power level ≤80 dB(A); hose, if present, still usable after 40,000 loaded oscillations; operating motor life ≥500 hours.
Test identity	Record general-purpose/carpet/hard-floor nozzle configuration and Annex II methods, data and calculations; check applicable harmonised standard editions.

Manufacturer versus regulator: Annex III verification tolerances are reserved for Member State market-surveillance tests, not a manufacturer’s design margin. A rated 920 W in-scope vacuum cannot be declared compliant with the <900 W ceiling by invoking a surveillance tolerance. Declared and advertised data must remain supported by actual tests.

Evidence package: what to obtain from the factory

Ask the OEM for a traceable model dossier, not an unqualified PDF labelled ‘CE’. A useful minimum review set is:

Factory evidence checklist

Photographs, model/SKU table, intended users, plug/charger ratings, mains/battery operation diagram, and whether a wet function exists.
Electrical safety and EMC/RED assessments for the actual motor, cable, charger, electronics, RF module and operating modes; risk assessment and selected standards/editions.
Where 666/2013 applies: test reports, raw performance calculations, carpet/hard-floor nozzle identification, airflow/dust data, noise, motor-life and hose-life evidence.
RoHS/material declarations with component traceability; battery-pack and transport/safety information where applicable; treatment of replaceability and end-of-life.
EU declaration(s) of conformity listing the applicable CE instruments, technical file, manufacturer/importer identity, serial/batch traceability and product marking artwork.
Manual translations and safety warnings for target Member States; web listing screenshots, packaging data, WEEE/packaging EPR arrangements and change-control records.

Markings, manual and online-product claims

The product may need CE marking and a correctly scoped EU declaration of conformity under applicable CE legislation; CE is ordinarily a manufacturer conformity declaration, not a universal mandatory third-party ‘EU certificate’. Separate WEEE crossed-out-bin marking and manufacturer/importer identification must be assessed. Instructions and safety information must meet the applicable national-language requirements. Do not revive the annulled EU A–G vacuum energy label or assume an EPREL registration is required for this product group: Regulation 665/2013 no longer applies. Do not confuse the product's ecodesign technical information with a consumer energy label. For covered 666/2013 models, instructions and relevant publicly available information have specific disclosures, including measurement-method references and nozzle limitations.

Who may release the EU listing, and when?

Before the first EU sale, close five release gates: (1) signed classification and applicability sheet; (2) representative-model test evidence and corrective actions; (3) aligned declarations, CE/bin markings and translated instructions; (4) an identified EU manufacturer/importer or other qualifying actor and Member State WEEE/packaging steps; (5) listing/traceability controls plus a process for motor, battery, filter, nozzle, firmware or supplier substitutions. An importer must verify—not merely accept—a foreign supplier's generic test bundle. Neither a voluntary lab mark nor CE artwork alone settles the market-access decision.

A hotel/professional model needs a documented machinery-versus-household electrical-safety decision. For mains-dependent domestic models, also check Regulation 2023/826 low-power modes. These are separate gates from vacuum-specific 666/2013.

Online-offer gate: For consumer distance sales where Article 19 of Regulation 2023/988 applies, show the manufacturer’s name and postal/electronic contact, the EU responsible person’s corresponding details when the manufacturer is outside the EU, a product picture/type/identifier and required safety warnings in the Member State’s prescribed language. Assess the distinct repair-service information and contact chain under Directive 2024/1799 for covered vacuums.

Adjacent products and non-EU routes

If a separate external power supply is supplied, map its own EU compliance route. The UK vacuum-cleaner route is separate; this page does not infer UK marking or documentation duties from EU rules.

Vacuum-cleaner questions answered

Does a cordless robot need the EU 900 W ecodesign test?

Not under Regulation 666/2013 merely because it vacuums: robots and battery-only vacuums are excluded. Check charger, battery, radio, safety, RoHS and EPR requirements independently.

Is a 230 V commercial hotel vacuum exempt as “industrial”?

Not on the word “commercial” alone. The legal definition of industrial includes specific designs and, for certain commercial models, head width over 0.50 m. Document use, construction and head width before deciding.

Does a vacuum with a powered battery brush become cordless?

No. A mains-operated dry vacuum with a battery-operated active nozzle is still treated as a dry vacuum; inspect the actual suction-motor power modes.

Can the manufacturer use the old A+++ energy label or register the vacuum in EPREL?

Do not present the annulled 665/2013 vacuum label as an applicable EU label. As of this review, the Commission confirms that no vacuum-cleaner energy-labelling legislation applies; check for future changes.

What change requires compliance review after testing?

Changes to nozzle geometry, dust filtration, motor, hose, battery, charger, radio module or firmware can alter scope or tested performance. Record a change-impact decision and retest where necessary.

Does a corded handheld or mattress vacuum automatically need the 666/2013 floor-cleaning tests?

Not necessarily. Commission guidance regards genuinely handheld, mattress-only and cold-ash cleaners without ordinary floor/carpet-cleaning function as outside this ecodesign scope. The guidance is not binding: verify the actual functions, attachments and sales claims before relying on that conclusion.