The Pressure Equipment Directive (97/23/EC) was adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council in May 1997. It has initially come into force on 29 Novembre 1999. From that date until 28 May 2002 manufacturers had a choice between applying the pressure equipment directive or contuning with the application of the existing national legislation. From 29 May 2002 the pressure euipement directive is obligatory throughout the European Union.
The Directive arises frome the European Community's Programme for the elimination of technical barriers to trade and is formulated under the "New Approach to Technical Harmonisation and Standards". Its purpose is to harmonise national laws of Member States regarding the design, manufacture, testing and conformity assesment of pressure equipment and assemblies of pressure equipment. It therefore aims to ensure the free placing on the market and putting into service of the equipment concererned within the European Union and the European Economic Area. Formulated under the New Approch the directive provides for a flexible regulatory environment that does not impose any detailed technical solution. This approach allows European Industry to develop new techniques thereby increasing international competitiveness. The pressure equipment directive is one of a series of technical harmonisation directives for machinery, electrical equipment, medical devices, simple pressure vessels, gas appliances, etc.
Under the Community regime of the Directive, pressure equipment and assemblies above specified pressure and/or volume thresolds must:
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be safe;
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meet essential safety requirements covering design, manufacture and testing;
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satisfy appropriate conformity assessment procedures;
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carry the "CE" marking and other information.
Pressure equipment and assemblies below the specified pressure / volume thresholds must:
That is why TECOFI has done everything to be in accrodance with the new directive in order provides its customers, products accroding to those technical requirements.
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