The New ATEX Directive joins the New Legislative Framework
The proposed texts for the alignment of nine Directives, including ATEX, with the New Legislative Framework (NLF) were agreed by the European Parliament on 5 February and have now been published. The Commission will be starting work on guidelines for the new ATEX text and a new version of the ‘Blue Guide’ is expected soon.
Here is a quick overview of the changes and likely affects on the ATEX Market.
- There will be more product surveillance under the new ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU
- All Notified Bodies will have to re-apply to become ATEX Notified Bodies and will have to be re-audited, existing Notified Bodies will not gain automatic Notification.
- All Notified Bodies will have properly accredited and proven competent to be Notified (there may be a lot less ATEX Notified Bodies under 2014-34-EU!)
- CE Declarations will be ‘EU’ D of C not ‘EC’ D of C
- EC Type Examination Certificates will be EU Type Examination Certificates under the new ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU
- There may be an Expiry Date on 2014/34/EU ATEX Certificates
- Although 94/9/EC ATEX Certificates will remain valid, it will not be possible to have a variation under the old Directive as the Directive has been repealed.
- It is likely that the new more regulated EU Type Examination Certificates will be requested by companies as it gets written in to procurement manuals…
The Commission has also launched an 18 month study to consider the options and impacts of the inclusion of offshore equipment in future revisions of the Machinery, ATEX and Pressure Equipment Directives
A Full copy of the new ATEX Directive 2014-34-EU ATEX Directive can be found here 2014-34-EU ATEX directive
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