EU: Evaluation of the Pressure-Equipment-Directive

 

The EU Commission has announced a public consultation on Pressure Equipment Directive and the Simple Pressure Vessels Directive.

The purpose is to assess if directives are still fit for purpose in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value. On the basis of the conclusions, the Commission will assess whether next steps may be necessary to improve the performance of the Directives.

The Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) (2014/68/EU) pertains to the design, manufacturing, and conformity assessment of stationary pressure equipment having a maximum allowable pressure exceeding 0.5 bar. It came into effect on July 20, 2016.

This directive is oriented towards facilitating the unrestricted movement of products falling within its scope while upholding a high standard of safety. It outlines specific “essential requirements” that the aforementioned equipment must meet during the manufacturing process and before entering the market.

The directive specifically applies to manufacturers of items like pressurized vessels, storage containers, heat exchangers, steam generators, boilers, industrial piping, safety devices, and pressure equipment. Manufacturers are obligated to ensure that their products undergo a conformity assessment in accordance with the directive’s provisions before being introduced to the market. The responsibility for compliance with this regulation lies with manufacturers, importers, and distributors, and relevant manufacturer information must accompany the product.

Member States hold supervisory authority, ensuring the removal of unsafe products from the market and preventing their introduction. According to the directive, pressure equipment must adhere to essential safety requirements encompassing design, manufacturing, and testing. It must undergo suitable conformity assessment procedures, bear the CE marking, and display other mandated information.

The public consultation is available HERE.

To find out more about product compliance in the EU and the CE conformity assessment system, please contact the Product Compliance Institute directly.