Effective May 1, 2026, the EU will officially mandate the implementation of the new audiovisual equipment safety standard EN IEC 62368-3:2026, bringing sensor module power supply units into its scope for the first time and adding mandatory testing for Thermal Runaway Protection. This adjustment will directly affect the export compliance of matching power modules used in scenarios such as smart security, industrial vision, and in-vehicle ADAS, requiring relevant companies to reassess product design, testing and certification, as well as delivery cycles.

Event Overview

Starting from May 1, 2026, the EU will mandatorily enforce the EN IEC 62368-3:2026 standard. This version explicitly includes “sensor module power supply units” (that is, supporting power modules used for sensor-based audiovisual equipment) within the scope of the standard and adds mandatory testing requirements for Thermal Runaway Protection. Current public information indicates that this testing must be carried out by qualified third-party organizations (such as TÜV Rheinland or SGS) and a compliance report must be issued; most OEM factories in China have not yet completed adaptation for this testing, which may lead to delivery delays of 4–6 weeks.

Which market segments will be affected

Processing and manufacturing enterprises

Manufacturers of power modules supporting sensors will be directly constrained by the new testing requirements. As Thermal Runaway Protection involves circuit protection design, component selection, and PCB layout optimization, existing production lines will need design verification and prototype retesting, and some models without reserved design margins may face rework or production suspension risks.

Direct trading enterprises

Foreign trade companies exporting sensor power modules to the EU market must provide a third-party compliance report meeting EN IEC 62368-3:2026 before customs clearance. If suppliers have not yet obtained the report, they will be unable to meet the prerequisite for CE marking, resulting in suspended orders or order transfers to already compliant manufacturers, and their bargaining power may weaken temporarily.

Supply chain service enterprises

Service providers offering CE certification consulting, testing coordination, and technical documentation preparation have recently seen a significant increase in inquiries regarding Thermal Runaway Protection testing. Their service focus needs to extend from general safety testing to specific failure mode analysis (such as the thermal coupling response of锂电输入型电源), but currently available localized testing resources remain relatively limited.

Channel distribution enterprises

Distributors engaged in European-standard power module distribution may no longer place old-batch products in inventory that are not marked “compliant with EN IEC 62368-3:2026” on the EU market after May 1, 2026. When the pace of inventory clearance does not match the progress of obtaining new certification, it may trigger short-term supply gaps or customer switches to alternative solutions.

What key points should relevant companies or practitioners focus on, and how should they respond at present

Confirm whether suppliers have completed adaptation for Thermal Runaway Protection testing

Immediately verify whether existing power module suppliers have completed full testing under EN IEC 62368-3:2026 through recognized organizations such as TÜV Rheinland or SGS and obtained formal compliance reports. Avoid relying solely on manufacturers’ verbal commitments or certificates based on older versions of the standard.

Prioritize identifying high-risk product categories and initiate sample testing

Focus on power modules used in high power density scenarios such as in-vehicle ADAS cameras, industrial array sensors, and smart access control infrared modules, where the risk of heat accumulation is higher and failure in Thermal Runaway Protection testing is more likely. It is recommended to prioritize pre-testing for the above categories and reserve at least an 8-week buffer period for rectification and retesting.

Synchronously update technical documentation and the CE Declaration of Conformity

After the implementation of the new standard, the original Declaration of Conformity (DoC) will no longer cover the newly added test items. Companies must re-sign the DoC based on the new test report and ensure that product labels, manuals, and technical pages on the official website clearly indicate “compliant with EN IEC 62368-3:2026” to avoid the risk of market surveillance spot checks.

Communicate expected delivery timeline changes with overseas customers in advance

Given that domestic OEM factories generally face delivery delays of 4–6 weeks, it is recommended to explain certification progress and potential production scheduling adjustments to end customers in the EU, and when necessary, negotiate partial shipments or activate already certified alternative models to reduce consequential liability for project delays.

Editor’s View / Industry Observation

Obviously, this update is less a sudden regulatory shock and more a structured escalation of existing safety expectations for power supplies in intelligent sensing systems. The inclusion of thermal runaway protection reflects the EU’s shift from generic hazard-based assessment toward failure-mode-specific safeguards — particularly where sensor modules operate continuously under variable load or elevated ambient temperatures. Analysis shows that while the test requirement is now mandatory, its technical basis (e.g., IEC 62368-3 Annex G) has been under discussion since 2023; early adopters have had time to adapt. It is currently more a signal of tightening compliance granularity than an unanticipated barrier — but one requiring concrete engineering action, not just documentation updates.

Conclusion
The mandatory implementation of Thermal Runaway Protection testing under EN IEC 62368-3:2026 marks the EU’s safety regulation of supporting power supplies for sensor-based audiovisual equipment entering a more refined stage. This is not a generalized compliance upgrade, but rather a technical reinforcement targeting the risk of thermal failure under specific application scenarios. At present, it is more appropriate to understand it as: a compliance threshold with an established technical pathway but a clearly defined enforcement milestone, whose depth of impact depends on whether companies have completed closed-loop preparation from design to verification.

Information source notes
Main sources: official EU standard announcements (CENELEC), the international standard text of IEC 62368-3:2026, and public technical notices from TÜV Rheinland and SGS.
Areas requiring continued observation: there is still no clear guidance on the actual enforcement intensity by market surveillance authorities in various member states regarding inventory products during the transition period, and on whether it will later be extended to other types of power supplies (such as USB PD protocol power modules).