Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/681 of 8 April 2025 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1182 as regards harmonised standards for medical gloves for single use, sterilization of medical devices and patient handling equipment used in ambulances

Official Journal EN of the European Union L series 2025/681 9.4.2025 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2025/681 of 8 April 2025 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1182 as regards harmonised standards for medical gloves for single use, sterilization of medical devices and patient handling equipment used in ambulances (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012on European standardisation, amending Council Directives 89/686/EEC and 93/15/EEC and Directives 94/9/EC, 94/25/EC, 95/16/EC, 97/23/EC, 98/34/EC, 2004/22/EC, 2007/23/EC, 2009/23/EC and 2009/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Decision 87/95/EEC and Decision No 1673/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(1), and in particular Article 10(6) thereof, Whereas: (1) In accordance with Article 8(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council(2), devices that are in conformity with the relevant harmonised standards, or the relevant parts of those standards, the references of which have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, are to be presumed to be in conformity with the requirements of that Regulation covered by those standards or parts thereof. (2) Regulation (EU) 2017/745 replaced Council Directives 90/385/EEC(3) and 93/42/EEC(4)with effect from 26 May 2021. (3) By Implementing Decision C(2021) 2406(5), the Commission made a request to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (Cenelec) for the revision of existing harmonised standards on medical devices developed in support of Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC, and for the drafting of new harmonised standards in support of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (‘the request’). (4) On the basis of the request, CEN and Cenelec revised the harmonised standards EN 455-1:2020 and 455-2:2015 on medical gloves for single use, EN 556-1:2001 and EN 556-2:2015 on sterilization of medical devices, and EN 1865-2:2010+A1:2015 on patient handling equipment used in ambulances, and drafted the harmonised standard EN 1865-6 on patient handling equipment used in ambulances, the references of which are not published in the Official Journal of the European Union, in order to take into account the latest technical and scientific progress and the need to support the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2017/745. (1) OJ L 316, 14.11.2012, p. 12, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/1025/oj. (2) Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on medical devices, amending Directive 2001/83/EC, Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and repealing Council Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC (OJ L 117, 5.5.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/745/oj). (3) Council Directive 90/385/EEC of 20 June 1990 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to active implantable medical devices (OJ L 189, 20.7.1990, p. 17, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1990/385/oj). (4) Council Directive 93/42/EEC of 14 June 1993 concerning medical devices (OJ L 169, 12.7.1993, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/ dir/1993/42/oj). (5) Commission Implementing Decision C(2021) 2406 of 14 April 2021 on a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardization and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization as regards medical devices in support of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council and in vitro diagnostic medical devices in support of Regulation (EU) 2017/746 of the European Parliament and of the Council. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/681/oj 1/3EN OJ L, 9.4.2025 (5) This resulted in the adoption of the harmonised standards EN 455-1:2020+A2:2024, EN 455-2:2024, EN 556-1:2024, EN 556-2:2024, EN 1865-2:2024 and EN 1865-6:2024 (‘the standards’). (6) The Commission together with CEN and Cenelec has assessed whether the standards comply with the request. (7) The standards satisfy the requirements which they aim to cover, and which are set out in Regulation (EU) 2017/745. It is therefore appropriate to publish the references of the standards in the Official Journal of the European Union. (8) The Annex to Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1182(6)lists the references of harmonised standards drafted in support of Regulation (EU) 2017/745. (9) In order to ensure that the references of harmonised standards drafted in support of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 are listed in one act, the references of the standards should be included in Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1182. (10) Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1182 should therefore be amended accordingly. (11) Compliance with a harmonised standard confers a presumption of conformity with the corresponding essential requirements set out in Union harmonisation legislation from the date of publication of the reference of such standard in the Official Journal of the European Union. This Decision should therefore enter into force on the day of its publication. (12) The harmonised standards adopted in response to standardisation requests may be subject to access to documents requests in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council(7). In its judgment of 5 March 2024, in Case C-588/21 P(8), the Court of Justice recognised that there is an overriding public interest, within the meaning of Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, justifying the disclosure of harmonised standards, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 The Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1182 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision. Article 2 This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Done at Brussels, 8 April 2025. For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN (6) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1182 of 16 July 2021 on the harmonised standards for medical devices drafted in support of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 256, 19.7.2021, p. 100, ELI: http://data. europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/1182/oj). (7) Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2001/1049/oj). (8) Judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 5 March 2024 Public.Resource.Org and Right to Know v. Commission and Others, C-588/21 P, ECLI:EU:C:2024:201. 2/3 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/681/ojEN OJ L, 9.4.2025 ANNEX In the Annex to Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1182, the following entries are added: No Reference of the standard ‘27. EN 455-1:2020+A2:2024 Medical gloves for single use – Part 1: Requirements and testing for freedom of holes 28. EN 455-2:2024 Medical gloves for single use – Part 2: Requirements and testing for physical properties 29. EN 556-1:2024 Sterilization of medical devices – Requirements for medical devices to be designated "STERILE" – Part 1: Requirements for terminally sterilized medical devices 30. EN 556-2:2024 Sterilization of medical devices – Requirements for medical devices to be designated "STERILE" – Part 2: Requirements for aseptically processed medical devices 31. EN 1865-2:2024 Patient handling equipment used in ambulances – Part 2: Power assisted stretcher 32. EN 1865-6:2024 Patient handling equipment used in ambulances – Part 6: Powered chairs’. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/681/oj 3/3