Do I Need to Use the Latest Version of a Safety Standard always for CE Compliance?

Imagine you build or modify machines that will be sold or used in the European Union. You’ve just seen that a new version of a safety standard (like ISO 13849 or ISO 13855) has been published. You might ask:

“Do I need to use this new version right now to be legally compliant?”

The short answer is: Not necessarily — and the long answer starts with understanding a few important concepts. Let’s break them down step-by-step.

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1.    What Is the Machinery Directive?

Think of the Machinery Directive (200C/42/EC) as a big rulebook from the European Union. It tells manufacturers how to make machines safe for people to use — whether it’s a robot arm, packaging machine, or a conveyor belt.

If your machine doesn’t meet this rulebook, you can’t legally sell or operate it in the EU.

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2.     What Is a Harmonized Standard?

A harmonized standard is a safety guideline that has been officially approved by the EU to match the rules in the Machinery Directive.

It’s like a pre-approved safety checklist.

If you follow it, the EU assumes your machine is safe — no extra proof needed.

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Example:

Let’s say you’re building a robotic system and you want to design the emergency stop button.

You decide to follow the safety standard called EN ISO 13850:2015, which explains how to design emergency stop systems.

If that 2015 version is on the EU’s harmonized list, you’re in luck — it gives you what’s called “presumption of conformity” (we’ll explain that next!).

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3.     What Is Presumption of Conformity?

This simply means:

If you use a harmonized standard that’s on the EU’s official list, the EU assumes your machine meets safety requirements.

This makes your life much easier:

•  You don’t need to write a long legal explanation to prove your machine is safe.

•  You can show the CE mark and sell or operate your machine legally.

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4.     What Is the Official Journal (OJ)?

The Official Journal (OJ) is like the EU’s legal bulletin. It’s where they publish:

• Which versions of safety standards are officially harmonized.

•  When older versions are no longer valid.

 If a standard version is listed in the OJ, it means it is “legal” to use it for compliance.

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 Real Example:

Let’s say the EU currently lists this in the OJ:

•  EN ISO 13855:2010 → Harmonized

•  EN ISO 13855:2024 → Not listed yet

Even though the 2024 version is newer, the 2010 version is still the one recognized by the EU. So, you are still allowed to use it.

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5.     When Do I Have to Use the New Version?

You only need to switch to the new version after the EU publishes it in the OJ

and withdraws the older one.

Until then:

•  You can keep using the older version (e.g., 2010).

•  You still get the legal benefit of presumption of conformity.

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 Recap with a Simple Table

Situation	What to Do
You see a new version of a standard online	Check if it’s listed in the Official Journal
It’s not in the OJ yet	You can still use the older version that is listed
The OJ removes the old version and lists the new one	Now you must switch to the new version
You use a version not in the OJ at all	You need to do extra work to prove legal compliance

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 Final Word

You don’t have to panic every time a new standard comes out.

Just remember:

Use the version listed in the Official Journal (OJ) Update only when that version changes

Use harmonized standards to simplify legal compliance

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 Need Help?

If you’re unsure about which version is valid, or you want help checking the OJ listing — we’re here to assist.

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Glossary (for quick reference)

Term	Meaning
Machinery Directive	EU law that defines machine safety rules
Harmonized Standard	A safety guideline that the EU approves as matching the law
Presumption of Conformity	A legal shortcut: using an approved standard means your machine is assumed safe
Official Journal (OJ)	EU’s official list of which standard versions are valid
CE Mark	Label you put on your machine to show it meets EU safety laws