ATEX Certification
The ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU
The purpose of the ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU is to harmonize the laws of Member States relating to equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres, so as to facilitate their free movement within the European Union market.
The directive establishes essential health and safety requirements and conformity assessment procedures to be applied before products are placed on the EU market.
The regulation is part of the framework for the harmonization of the EU internal market and is currently based on Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), formerly Article 95 of the EC Treaty.
Directive 2014/34/EU has been applicable since April 20, 2016, and replaced the previous Directive 94/9/EC.
Essential health and safety requirements
The essential health and safety requirements are set out in Annex II of Directive 2014/34/EU and specifically concern:
- Potential ignition sources of equipment intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.
- Protective systems intended to come into operation following an explosion, with the aim of stopping it immediately and/or limiting the effects of flames and overpressures.
- Safety, control, and regulating devices that contribute to the safe operation of equipment and protective systems, even if intended for use outside the explosive atmosphere.
- Components essential to the safe operation of such equipment or protective systems.
