Kitchen appliances and small domestic appliances

• Directive 2014/35/EU — Low Voltage
• Directive 2014/30/EU — EMC
• Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 — food contact
• Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 — energy labelling
• Directive 2011/65/EU — RoHS
• Directive 2012/19/EU — WEEE

Who has to appoint one

Manufacturers and sellers outside the Union placing small domestic appliances on the EU market. Private-label brands are manufacturers in law. Where the appliance touches food — kettles, blenders, air fryers, coffee machines — the food contact regime applies to the wetted parts in addition to the electrical rules.

Thresholds and exemptions

None for the electrical obligations. Energy labelling and ecodesign apply per product group, so ovens, hobs, extractor hoods and dishwashers carry labels and EPREL registration while a toaster currently does not.

What must appear on the label

CE marking, manufacturer and EU representative details, model and batch identification, rated voltage and power, the WEEE symbol, and where the product group requires it the energy label with the class and the QR code to EPREL. Food contact parts require the glass-and-fork symbol or an equivalent indication.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces require the EU responsible person, a WEEE number per country and, for labelled product groups, the EPREL registration and the label image. Air fryers and blenders have attracted targeted enforcement on overheating and on non-compliant food contact coatings.

Documentation you must hold

EU declaration of conformity covering LVD, EMC and RoHS. Technical file with drawings, component list, thermal and electrical test reports and the risk analysis. Declaration of compliance and migration testing for every food contact part. EPREL registration where applicable. WEEE and packaging registrations with annual declarations.

Standards and testing

EN 60335-1 with the relevant part 2 for the appliance type, covering electrical safety, temperature rise, abnormal operation and stability. EN 55014 for emissions and immunity. Overall and specific migration testing on food contact parts under the conditions of use, including high-temperature simulants for cooking appliances. RoHS analysis on homogeneous materials.

Language requirements

Instructions, safety warnings and the energy label information in the language of each member state of sale. Cleaning and maintenance instructions count as safety information for appliances that heat.

When it applies

Documentation before placing on the market, EPREL registration before the first unit is sold where the product group requires it, and WEEE and packaging registration before the first shipment into each country.

How long records are kept

Technical documentation and the declaration of conformity for ten years; EPREL data for fifteen years; EPR declarations per national law.

What happens if you do not comply

Withdrawal and recall, which for heating appliances is often accompanied by a Safety Gate alert. Customs refusal. Marketplace suspension for missing WEEE or EPREL numbers. Fines per country for each missing environmental registration, plus retroactive recycling fees.

Who enforces it

National market surveillance authorities, energy agencies for labelling, food safety authorities for the contact parts, WEEE registers and customs.

Where the boundary lies

Two regimes are commonly missed on the same product: the food contact rules for the jug, basket or filter, and the energy labelling and EPREL registration for the product groups that carry a label. An appliance with a wireless connection also moves into the Radio Equipment Directive and, from 2027, the Cyber Resilience Act.

Questions we are asked

Does an air fryer need food contact documentation?

Yes, for the basket, tray and any coated surface that touches food, tested at the temperatures the appliance actually reaches.

Is EPREL needed for a kettle?

No, kettles are not currently a labelled product group. Ovens, hobs, hoods, dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines are, and their listings must show the label and the EPREL link.