WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?
- Directive 2014/68/EU lays down essential safety requirements for pressure equipment1 and assemblies2 (such as boilers, pressure cookers, fire extinguishers, heat exchangers and steam generators).
- All stationary pressure equipment must conform to strict specifications if it is to be sold in the European Union (EU).
KEY POINTS
Scope
The directive applies to the design, manufacture and conformity of pressure equipment with a maximum allowable pressure greater than 0.5 bar. It covers all pressure equipment and assemblies that are new to the EU market, whether manufactured in the EU or elsewhere. This also includes imported used items.
Wide range of applications
Pressure equipment is used widely in industries such as:
- oil,
- chemicals,
- plastics,
- food,
- glass,
- paper,
- energy production, storage and distribution.
Without stringent and effectively enforced standards, stationary pressure equipment can be inherently dangerous.
Responsibility for compliance
Manufacturers and their representatives, importers and distributors are responsible for the compliance of their products with this law. This is to ensure the health and safety of users and the safety of domestic animals and property, and to guarantee fair competition in the EU.
Manufacturer and importer details
Manufacturer details (name, registered trade name or trade mark and postal address) must be indicated on the equipment or, where this is not possible, on the packaging or in the accompanying documentation. These must be provided in a language easily understood by consumers and market surveillance authorities (public authorities that ensure products comply with legislation and are safe). Importers must provide their contact details.
Non-compliance
EU Member States must ensure that manufacturers, importers and distributors comply with the law. If there is evidence of non-compliance, they must restrict or prohibit the equipment from being sold.
Annexes
These contain detailed information on aspects such as:
- essential safety requirements to be met;
- conformity-assessment3 procedures (to test if a product meets the required standards);
- the EU declaration of conformity.
Internal market emergency mode
Amending Directive (EU) 2024/2749 seeks to avoid disruptions to the internal market in the event of an emergency by ensuring that, once an internal market emergency mode, as set out in Regulation (EU) 2024/2747 (the Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act), has been activated by means of an implementing act adopted by the Council of the European Union, designated crisis-relevant goods and services4 can be placed on the market as rapidly as possible.
Directive (EU) 2024/2749 amends Directive 2014/68/EU setting out how these emergency procedures would apply. Among other provisions, the new rules ensure the following.
- They require conformity-assessment bodies to prioritise applications for conformity of crisis-relevant products over those for products that are not.
- They allow Member States, on an exceptional basis and where there is a duly justified request, to temporarily authorise the placing on the market of equipment without carrying out the normal conformity-assessment procedures, where the involvement of a notified body is mandatory and can ensure all essential requirements are met.
- They permit Member States’ competent national authorities to presume that equipment manufactured in accordance with European standards, relevant applicable national standards or relevant applicable international standards developed by a recognised international standardisation body, identified by the European Commission as suitable to reach conformity and ensuring an equivalent level of protection to that offered by the harmonised standards, comply with the relevant applicable essential requirements.
- They give the Commission the possibility to adopt, by means of implementing acts, common specifications on which the manufacturers should be able to rely in order to benefit from a presumption of conformity with the applicable essential requirements. Implementing acts laying down such common specifications remain applicable for the duration of the internal market emergency mode.
FROM WHEN DO THE RULES APPLY?
Directive 2014/68/EU revised and replaced Directive 97/23/EC.
Directive 2014/68/EC had to be transposed into national law by 28 February 2015. These rules have applied since 1 June 2015.
The rules adopted under amending Directive (EU) 2024/2749 have to be transposed by 29 May 2026 and will apply from 30 May 2026.
KEY TERMS
- Pressure equipment. Vessels, piping, safety accessories and pressure accessories, including, where applicable, elements attached to pressurised parts, such as flanges, nozzles, couplings, supports and lifting lugs.
- Assemblies. Several pieces of pressure equipment assembled by a manufacturer to constitute an integrated and functional whole.
- Conformity-assessment. The process confirming that a product satisfies the necessary process, service, system, person or body requirements.
- Crisis-relevant goods and services. Goods or services that are non-substitutable, non-diversifiable or indispensable in the maintenance of vital societal functions or economic activities in order to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market and its supply chains, that are considered essential for responding to a crisis and that are listed in an implementing act adopted by the Council.
MAIN DOCUMENT
Directive 2014/68/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of pressure equipment (recast) (OJ L 189, 27.6.2014, pp. 164–259).
Successive amendments to Directive 2014/68/EU have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Regulation (EU) 2024/2747 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2024 establishing a framework of measures related to an internal market emergency and to the resilience of the internal market and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2679/98 (Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act) (OJ L, 2024/2747, 8.11.2024).
Directive (EU) 2024/2749 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2024 amending Directives 2000/14/EC, 2006/42/EC, 2010/35/EU, 2014/29/EU, 2014/30/EU, 2014/33/EU, 2014/34/EU, 2014/35/EU, 2014/53/EU and 2014/68/EU as regards emergency procedures for the conformity assessment, presumption of conformity, adoption of common specifications and market surveillance due to an internal market emergency (OJ L, 2024/2749, 8.11.2024).
Decision No 768/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on a common framework for the marketing of products, and repealing Council Decision 93/465/EEC (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, pp. 82–128).
