Our test report refers to a withdrawn standard

A test report is evidence against a specific edition of a standard. When that edition changes, the evidence ages. The Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU requires manufacturers to have procedures so that series production remains in conformity, and to take adequately into account changes in the harmonised standards, the international or national standards, or other technical specifications by reference to which conformity is declared (Article 6(4)). The EMC Directive 2014/30/EU says the same in Article 7(4). The Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU does so in Article 10(5).^[1][2][3]

The legal weight of a standard comes from publication. Equipment that conforms to harmonised standards whose references have been published in the Official Journal is presumed to conform to the requirements those standards cover (Directive 2014/35/EU Article 12; Directive 2014/30/EU Article 13; Directive 2014/53/EU Article 16). Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 governs those references. The Commission publishes a reference where a harmonised standard satisfies the requirements it aims to cover (Article 10(6)). After a formal objection it may decide to maintain, maintain with restriction or withdraw a reference (Article 11(1)(b)), and it publishes information on those decisions on its website (Article 11(2)). When a standard is revised, the Commission's implementing decision for the act withdraws the old reference, and it can defer the withdrawal. For the low voltage directive, Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2723 kept listed references until dates of withdrawal set in its Annexes II and III, "to give manufacturers sufficient time to adapt" (recitals and Articles 2 and 3). The Commission's harmonised standards pages hold the current lists per act.^{[1][2][3][4][7][6]}

The technical file shows which standards you relied on. Annex III of the low voltage directive asks for a list of the harmonised standards applied in full or in part, and where they have not been applied, a description of the solutions adopted to meet the safety objectives (point 2(d)), plus test reports (point 2(f)). The declaration lists the standards used and is continuously updated (Article 15(2) and Annex IV item 6). When a standard changes, both documents change.^[1]

For radio equipment the standard can also decide the procedure. Where harmonised standards for the requirements in Article 3(2) and (3) have not been applied, have been applied only in part, or do not exist, the equipment must go through EU-type examination or full quality assurance (Directive 2014/53/EU Article 17(4)). If the product no longer meets the act, authorities require corrective action and, where the operator does not act, ensure withdrawal, recall or a prohibition (Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 Article 16(2), (3) and (5)).^[3][5]