Transitional periods

The Personal Protective Equipment Regulation (EU) 2016/425 has been applied from 21 April 2018.

Each individual PPE placed on the market must have complied with the requirements of the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation no later than from 21 April 2019.
Sales of PPE manufactured in conformity with the EU Personal Protective Equipment Directive (89/686/EEC), in Finland the Government Decision on Personal Protective Equipment (1406/1993), and placed on the market, i.e. made available on the EU market for the first time, before 21 April 2019 are still allowed, unless the PPE becomes obsolete or causes danger to the user.
EC type-examination certificates and approval decisions issued under the Directive have been valid until 21 April 2023, unless they have expired before that date.
- Each individual PPE placed on the market must still have complied with the requirements of the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation from 21 April 2019 onwards.
- An EU type-examination certificate in accordance with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation must have been obtained for class II and III PPE placed on the market after 21 April 2023. Products furnished with the EC type-examination certificate have not been allowed to be placed on the market after 21 April 2023.
- PPE in accordance with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation placed on the market before 22 April 2023 can still be sold, even if its EC type-examination certificates are no longer valid.

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the guidance document published by the European Commission.

Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes)