Pressure equipment: harmonisation of essential safety requirements

The Council made some substantial changes to the Commission proposal as amended by Parliament. The Common Position basically incorporates the amendments adopted by Parliament at first reading, particularly the amendment to make the Directive applicable to the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure equipment subject to an allowable pressure greater than 0.5 bar. Parliament's amendments which were not accepted by the Commission were not incorporated. The Council's main changes concern the following points: - some types of equipment other than those initially listed have been excluded from the field of application of the directive: . category I equipment, where the risk associated with pressure is already covered by other directives: 95/16/EEC (lifts), 73/23/EEC (low voltage), 93/42/EEC (medical devices), 94/9/EEC (equipment used in an explosive atmosphere); . radiators and pipes for hot water heating systems; . receptacles for liquids with a gas pressure above the liquid not exceeding 0.5 bar - Annex II (classification): only two groups of liquids (instead of three) were included and four categories of equipment defined; - Annex III (certification): . modules A1, A2, C1 and C2 were incorporated into modules A1 and C1; modules D1, E1, B1 and H were added to provide certification procedures for medium-risk equipment; the modules for assemblies, FA and DA, were replaced by a 'global procedure'; . in addition, the manufacturer may choose to apply one of the certification procedures for a higher category than that in which the equipment is classified; . exceptions to the rules on application of certification procedures were included for specific types of equipment (pressure cookers, containers and piping containing unstable gases, portable extinguishers, assemblies for hot water production). - European approval of materials: a new article allows the use of appropriate material for the manufacture of certain types of pressure equipment not included in the harmonized rules. It provides for an approval procedure involving specifically designated notified bodies as well as the Member States and the Commission; - recognized third parties: the conditions for designating third parties to carry out certain functions at Community level were established, particularly with regard to their technical competence; - user inspection service: provision is made for the Member States still to be able to choose whether or not to recognize conformity assessments carried out by user inspection services; - essential requirements: a new article lays down the essential requirements for certain cases, giving the safety figures which are generally applied; - comitology: the Council has delegated to the Commission competence to amend the directive with regard to reclassification of pressure equipment (consultative committee). �