Practical Guide: Regulatory transition towards the adoption of EN 17235:2024
Practical Guide: Regulatory transition towards the adoption of EN 17235:2024
The road towards the CE marking of lifelines and permanent anchoring systems on roofs, as foreseen by EN 17235:2024 , has taken on a well-defined physiognomy, as already reported in the specific news dedicated to the transition period which can be consulted here .
A transition postponed by more than a year
However, the harmonization of the standard at the European level has been delayed by more than a year, only becoming effective on February 6, 2026, with an eighteen-month coexistence period during which manufacturers can continue to market both devices already bearing the new CE marking and products that do not yet have it. The obligation to comply will begin on August 10, 2027.
Because respecting deadlines is not a bureaucratic postponement
This transition period responds to an essential practical need. In the first months following the standard's publication, it was physically impossible to initiate the official certification process for CE marking of devices, which involves numerous technical tests and accredited laboratories capable of verifying and confirming product compliance with the new standard. Requiring immediate implementation would have risked stalling construction sites, due to manufacturers' simple inability to supply certified devices in a timely manner.
The issue of UNI 11578: withdrawn, but EN 17235 is not yet fully applicable
Complicating the situation was a temporal misalignment with Italian national legislation. UNI 11578:2015 was withdrawn by UNI on June 30, 2026, with a scheduled withdrawal assuming the European standard would be harmonized by the end of 2024. Since the European process was more than a year late, UNI 11578 expired according to a timetable that is now out of date, while manufacturers have not yet had the material time to certify according to EN 17235. The result is a technical stalemate: UNI 11578 is officially withdrawn, EN 17235 is in force but not yet fully marketable.
What can manufacturers and installers do today?
During this period, operators in the sector are not left without references:
Manufacturers — can continue to sell UNI 11578 certified products. Adherence to the technical standards is voluntary: they provide guidance on how to do things properly and the state of the art, and a manufacturer can legitimately refer to a standard that has already been superseded.
Installers — can install EN 795 certified products (a standard that remains fully operational for temporary devices, although in practice it is also used for permanent ones) and UNI 11578 certified products (specifically for permanent devices, although it is now a standard that is becoming obsolete).
EN 795:2012: the standard that remains unchanged for removable devices
The EN 795:2012 standard (possibly integrated by the CEN/TS 16415:2013 specification for extension to multiple simultaneous operators) remains unchanged, intended for removable and non-permanent anchor devices.
A transition to be managed gradually
In conclusion, the transition to the new regulatory framework requires gradual and careful management . Imposing the exclusive application of EN 17235:2024 in the current market context, characterized by long lead times for accreditation bodies and product testing, would risk compromising device availability, making the transition unsustainable for industry operators.
