Legal requirements & regulations

Lifts and safety components for lifts must be CE marked when placed on the internal market. The CE marking shows that the lift and components comply with all applicable requirements of current EU legislation. In order for a lift or an included safety component to be put into service, an approved inspection by an accredited inspection body is also required.

Lifts may be subject to requirements under several different EU directives. In particular, the following directives may apply to lifts:

Lift Directive, 2014/33/EU
Machinery Directive, 2006/42/EC
The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive, E MC 2014/30/EU

Also the Planning and Building Ordinance, 2011:338, contains requirements for construction works.

Lift Directive 2014/33/EU

European Union Lift Directive 2014/33/EU specifies minimum requirements for many types of lifts intended for passenger transport. The Lifts Directive has been transposed into Sweden through BFS 2025:11. In addition to new installations, this also regulates changes to existing devices, retroactive improvement requirements, inspection, operation, care and maintenance.

Work environment

In addition to the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning's regulations for elevators, employees' use of elevators is regulated by the Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulations and general advice, see AFS 2023:11 on work equipment and personal protective equipment – safe use, Chapter 11. Use of lifting devices and lifting equipment. The provisions in this chapter apply to the use of lifting devices and lifting equipment, including elevators, used in the workplace. Among other things, it states that the employer is responsible for ensuring that service and assembly work on elevators is carried out in a way that does not cause risks.

Standardization

As a manufacturer of lifts or safety components, you can use harmonised standards to obtain a presumption of conformity with applicable EU legislation. Participants in the Swedish committee SIS/TK 211 works to influence the design of standards, including by participating in the European work in CEN and the global work within ISO.

All European standards apply throughout the EU/EFTA and thus also become Swedish standards. The CEN and ISO committees are now working together to create the EN ISO 8100 series, a common series of lift standards for the whole world. The EN ISO 8100 series will partly replace the EN 81 series, which is the existing harmonised standard series for lifts and is used as a basis for CE marking.

Availability

• The Discrimination Act (SFS 2008:567) defines lack of accessibility as a form of discrimination.

• The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Article 9 – Accessibility) states, among other things, that States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have access on an equal basis with others to the physical environment. This includes measures such as identifying and removing obstacles and barriers to accessibility.

• The European Accessibility Act (2019/882/EU) has been transposed into Sweden through the Accessibility of Certain Products and Services Act (2023:254), which entered into force on 28 June 2025.

• Harmonized standards (CEN/CENELEC): EN 81-20, EN 81-50 and EN 81-70

Regulations