L_2014189EN.01016401.xml
| 27.6.2014 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | L 189/164 |
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)
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 114 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1),
Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (2),
Whereas:
| (1) | Directive 97/23/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) has been substantially amended (4). Since further amendments are to be made, that Directive should be recast in the interests of clarity. |
| (2) | Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) lays down rules on the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies, provides a framework for the market surveillance of products and for controls on products from third countries, and lays down the general principles of the CE marking. |
| (3) | Decision No 768/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (6) lays down common principles and reference provisions intended to apply across sectoral legislation in order to provide a coherent basis for revision or recasts of that legislation. Directive 97/23/EC should therefore be adapted to that Decision. |
| (4) | This Directive covers pressure equipment and assemblies which are new to the Union market when they are placed on the market; that is to say they are either new pressure equipment or assemblies made by a manufacturer established in the Union or pressure equipment or assemblies, whether new or second-hand, imported from a third country. |
| (5) | This Directive should apply to all forms of supply, including distance selling. |
| (6) | This Directive should apply to pressure equipment subject to a maximum allowable pressure PS greater than 0,5 bar. Pressure equipment subject to a pressure of not more than 0,5 bar does not pose a significant risk due to pressure. Therefore, there should not be any obstacle to its free movement within the Union. |
| (7) | This Directive should also apply to assemblies composed of several pieces of pressure equipment assembled to constitute an integrated and functional whole. Those assemblies may range from simple assemblies such as pressure cookers to complex assemblies such as water tube boilers. If the manufacturer of an assembly intends to place it on the market and put it into service as an assembly — and not in the form of its constituent non-assembled elements — that assembly should comply with this Directive. However, this Directive should not apply to the assembly of pressure equipment on the site and under the responsibility of a user who is not the manufacturer, as in the case of industrial installations. |
| (8) | This Directive should harmonise national provisions on risks due to pressure. The other risks which this equipment may present may fall within the scope of other Directives dealing with those risks. |
| (9) | However, some pressure equipment is covered by other Directives based on Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The provisions laid down in some of those Directives deal also with the risk due to pressure. Those Directives are considered adequate to provide appropriate protection where the risk due to pressure associated with such equipment remains small. Therefore, such equipment should be excluded from the scope of this Directive. |
| (10) | For some pressure equipment covered by international agreements for its international transport, national transport and pressure hazards and risks are dealt with by Union Directives based on such agreements. Those Directives extend the application of those agreements to national transport, in order to ensure the free movement of dangerous goods whilst enhancing transport safety. Such equipment which is covered by Directive 2008/68/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (7) and by Directive 2010/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (8) should be excluded from the scope of this Directive. |
| (11) | Certain types of pressure equipment, although subject to a maximum allowable pressure PS greater than 0,5 bar, do not present any significant risk due to pressure, and therefore the free movement of such equipment in the Union should not be hindered if it has been legally manufactured or placed on the market in a Member State. It is not necessary in order to ensure free movement of such equipment to include it within the scope of this Directive. Consequently it should be expressly excluded from its scope. |
| (12) | Other pressure equipment subject to a maximum allowable pressure greater than 0,5 bar and presenting a significant risk due to pressure, but in respect of which free movement and an appropriate level of safety are guaranteed, should be excluded from the scope of this Directive. Such exclusions should, however, be regularly reviewed in order to ascertain whether it is necessary to take action at Union level. |
| (13) | The scope of this Directive should be based on a general definition of the term ‘pressure equipment’ so as to allow for the technical development of products. |
| (14) | Compliance with the essential safety requirements is necessary in order to ensure the safety of pressure equipment. Those requirements should be subdivided into general and specific requirements that need to be met by pressure equipment. In particular the specific requirements should take account of particular types of pressure equipment. Certain types of pressure equipment in categories III and IV should be subject to a final assessment comprising final inspection and proof tests. |
| (15) | Member States should be in a position to allow the showing at trade fairs of pressure equipment which is not yet in conformity with the requirements of this Directive. During demonstrations, appropriate safety measures should be taken in accordance with the general safety rules of the Member State concerned to ensure the safety of persons. |
| (16) | Directive 97/23/EC provides for a classification of pressure equipment in categories, according to the ascending level of hazard. This includes the classification of the fluid contained in the pressure equipment as dangerous or not, according to Council Directive 67/548/EEC (9). On 1 June 2015 Directive 67/548/EEC is to be repealed and replaced by Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (10), which implements in the Union the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals that has been adopted at international level, within the United Nations structure. Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 introduces new hazard classes and categories only partially corresponding to those provided for by Directive 67/548/EEC. Directive 97/23/EC should therefore be aligned to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 while maintaining the existing levels of protection provided for in that Directive. |
| (17) | Economic operators should be responsible for the compliance of pressure equipment and assemblies with the requirements of this Directive, in relation to their respective roles in the supply chain, so as to ensure a high level of protection of public interests, such as health and safety of persons, and the protection of domestic animals and of property, and to guarantee fair competition on the Union market. |
| (18) | All economic operators intervening in the supply and distribution chain should take appropriate measures to ensure that they only make available on the market pressure equipment and assemblies which are in conformity with this Directive. It is necessary to provide for a clear and proportionate distribution of obligations which correspond to the role of each economic operator in the supply and distribution chain. |
| (19) | The manufacturer, having detailed knowledge of the design and production process, is best placed to carry out the conformity assessment procedure. Conformity assessment should therefore remain solely the obligation of the manufacturer. |
| (20) | In order to facilitate the communication between economic operators, market surveillance authorities and consumers, Member States should encourage economic operators to include a website address in addition to the postal address. |
| (21) | It is necessary to ensure that pressure equipment and assemblies from third countries entering the Union market comply with the requirements of this Directive, and in particular that appropriate conformity assessment procedures have been carried out by manufacturers with regard to that pressure equipment or those assemblies. Provision should therefore be made for importers to make sure that the pressure equipment or assembly they place on the market complies with the requirements of this Directive and that they do not place on the market pressure equipment or assemblies which do not comply with such requirements or presents a risk. Provision should also be made for importers to make sure that the conformity assessment procedures have been carried out and that marking of pressure equipment or assemblies and documentation drawn up by manufacturers are available for inspection by the competent national authorities. |
| (22) | When placing pressure equipment or assemblies on the market, every importer should indicate on the |
...
