Free movement of pressure equipment in the European Union

Pressure equipment or assemblies thereof may only be made available on the market or put into service if they comply with the requirements of the Pressure Equipment Regulations, are properly installed and maintained and are used for their intended purpose.

The Pressure Equipment Regulations apply to the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure equipment and assemblies for which the maximum allowable pressure PS is greater than 0.5 bar. When placing on the market pressure equipment or assemblies having main parameters lower than or equal to the technical requirements of the Regulation, manufacturers shall ensure that they have been designed and manufactured in accordance with the good engineering practice of the Member State.

Manufacturers of pressure equipment shall draw up technical documentation which enables the conformity of the pressure equipment with the relevant requirements to be determined and which includes a risk analysis and assessment. The technical documentation shall specify the applicable requirements and, to the extent relevant for such determination, shall cover the design, manufacture and operation of the pressure equipment. Where it is demonstrated that the pressure equipment and assemblies satisfy the essential requirements, manufacturers shall draw up a declaration of conformity and affix the CE marking accompanied by the identification number of the notified body, where such a body is involved in the production control phase of the pressure equipment. 

The notified body shall obtain notification from a notifying authority if it demonstrates its conformity with the criteria set out in the relevant harmonised standards or parts thereof and fulfils the conditions for conformity assessment and obtains an accreditation certificate issued by the Slovenian Accreditation Institute. The notifying authority shall inform the Member States and the Commission of the notification of new notified bodies.

A conformity assessment body is a body which is independent of the organisation or the pressure equipment it assesses and which, when it demonstrates its conformity with the criteria set out in the harmonised standards, is presumed to satisfy the requirements of the Regulation, provided that the applicable harmonised standards cover those requirements. A list of periodic inspection bodies and the fields of designation and fields of appointment of periodic inspection bodies is published.