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Low voltage directive (73/23/EEC) The FSC product also complies with the low voltage directive, or Council Directive 73/23/EEC of 19 February 1973 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits as it is officially called. It states that "electrical equipment may be placed on the market only if, having been constructed in accordance with good engineering practice in safety matters in force in the Community, it does not endanger the safety of persons, domestic animals or property when properly installed and maintained and used in applications for which it was made" (Article 2). The low voltage directive defines a number of principal safety objectives that electrical equipment must meet in order to be considered "safe". Within the context of the low voltage directive, 'electrical equipment' means any equipment designed for use with a voltage rating of between 50 and 1,000 V for alternating current and between 75 and 1,500 V for direct current. The low voltage directive was originally published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on March 26, 1973. It was amended by Council Directive 93/68/EEC, which became effective on January 1, 1995, with a two-year transitional period. During the transitional period, a manufacturer can choose to meet existing national laws (of the country of installation) or comply with the low voltage directive (demonstrated by the CE marking and Declaration of Conformity). The transitional period ended on December 31, 1996, which meant that as of January 1, 1997 compliance with the low voltage directive became mandatory (a legal requirement). All electronic products may now only be marketed in the European Union if they meet the requirements laid down in the low voltage directive. This also applies to FSC system cabinets.