Aquariums, terrariums and pet habitat equipment

• Directive 2014/35/EU — Low Voltage
• Directive 2014/30/EU — EMC
• Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — GPSR
• Regulation (EC) No 338/97 — CITES for protected species
• Directive 2012/19/EU — WEEE

Who has to appoint one

Manufacturers and sellers outside the Union placing aquarium and terrarium equipment on the EU market. Immersed electrical equipment is a heightened safety risk and the standards reflect that.

Thresholds and exemptions

None. Live animals and protected species are separately regulated and cannot be shipped under product law at all.

What must appear on the label

CE marking, manufacturer and EU representative details, model and batch identification, rated voltage and IP rating, the WEEE symbol, and the warnings about disconnecting before immersion and about drip loops.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces check the responsible person and the WEEE number. Submersible heaters have been recalled after tank fires and electrocution incidents.

Documentation you must hold

EU declaration of conformity, technical file with electrical and thermal test reports including behaviour when run dry, and WEEE and packaging registrations.

Standards and testing

EN 60335-2-55 for appliances for use with aquariums and garden ponds, covering immersion, insulation and dry-running, plus EMC testing and photobiological assessment for UV lamps.

Language requirements

Instructions and electrical warnings in the language of each member state of sale.

When it applies

Before placing on the market.

How long records are kept

Ten years.

What happens if you do not comply

Withdrawal and Safety Gate alerts. Heaters that fail to cut out when run dry are a recurring cause of fires and recalls.

Who enforces it

Market surveillance authorities, WEEE registers, CITES authorities for protected species and customs.

Where the boundary lies

Live animals, corals and protected plants are outside product law and require CITES documentation and veterinary import controls, which cannot be handled by an EU representative. UV sterilisers raise photobiological safety issues distinct from ordinary lamps.

Questions we are asked

Does an aquarium heater have its own standard?

Yes, EN 60335-2-55 with specific requirements for immersion and dry running, which ordinary appliance testing does not cover.

Can we ship corals or live plants?

Not under product law. CITES permits and veterinary or plant health controls apply, and many species are prohibited.