6. Evolution of the state of the art

The manufacturer or his authorized representative should check whether the latest list of harmonized standards applies to him. Indeed, the preliminary remark in Annex II of the ATEX Directive notes that "it is necessary to take account of technological knowledge, which is subject to rapid change, and to apply it as far as possible without delay". The intention of this remark is to ensure that ATEX products on the market at any given time are all in line with this state of the art.

As a result, the list of harmonized standards indicates when a new standard is harmonized, which standard it replaces, and when the replaced standard will cease to give presumption of conformity and cease to be harmonized.

In addition, and in order to help the various economic players, the CEN and CENELEC standards bodies include a list of the significant changes...