Share Article
On 26 April 2024, the EU Commission published the new 5th edition of the guide to the application of the ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU (equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres).
In addition to numerous editorial changes, the 5th edition of the guide to the ATEX Directive primarily contains new provisions on the interaction of the Directive with the new Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, which came into force on 19 July 2023 and will apply from 20 January 2027. The most important aspect here is digitalisation: it is now accepted that the technical files can be either in paper or in electronic form, as long as they are legible during the relevant period. As some of the individual paragraphs are very extensive, the table below only lists the amended sections and the newly added text elements.
Seminar tip
Changeover to the new Machinery Regulation
In our webinar "Changeover to the new Machinery Regulation", we will provide you with compact information on the relevant changes to the new Machinery Regulation.
to the seminar
Section
Title
Content
§ 32
(...) The manufacturer, his authorised representative or the person who first places a product on the EU market or puts a product into service in the EU market has to decide whether it is covered by the ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU and, if so, apply its provisions. The manufacturer (in the broadest sense of the Directive) must therefore make an ATEX analysis on the basis of the Directive. (...)
§ 34
(...) The Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 (applicable from 14 January 2027) will modify the requirement 1.5.7 on "Explosion" into: "Machinery or related products shall be designed and constructed in such a way as to avoid any risk of explosion presented by the machinery or related product itself or by gases, liquids, dust, vapours or other substances produced or used by the machinery or related product. Machinery or related product shall comply, as far as the risk of explosion due to its use in a potentially explosive atmosphere is concerned, with the provisions of the specific Union harmonisation legislation”. (...)
(...)hazards of ignition - risks of explosion
(...)
§ 48
First, the applicable harmonised standard is EN IEC 60079-0:2018.
§ 59
(...) Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 includes fulfilment service providers as another category of economic operators.
§ 64
(...) See also § 7.4.2. "–Market surveillance measures" in "The 'Blue Guide' on the implementation of EU product rules"
Guides, such as the one discussed here or the guides to other EU directives, play an important role in the interpretation of legal requirements and are valuable sources of knowledge in practice for all persons working with the respective directives and regulations.
Guides do not, however, have the character of law!
You can access the current version of the ATEX guide via the following link:
ATEX Guidelines 2014/34/EU, 5th edition, April 2024
Product note
Safexpert 9.1 - The CE software already supports the new Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/123030
Since version 9.1, Safexpert has been providing you with targeted support when switching to the new Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. For machines with a long service life that are placed on the market from 20 January 2027, you can now use the CE guide in accordance with the new Machinery Regulation!
More information
Posted on: 2024-05-15
Daniel Zacek-Gebele, MSc Produktmanager bei IBF für Zusatzprodukte sowie Datenmanager für die Aktualisierung der Normendaten am Safexpert Live Server. Studium der Wirtschaftswissenschaften in Passau (BSc) und Stuttgart (MSc) im Schwerpunkt International Business and Economics.
E-Mail: daniel.zacek-gebele@ibf-solutions.com | www.ibf-solutions.com
You are not yet registered? Register now for the free CE InfoService and receive information by e-mail when new technical papers, important standards publications or other news from the field of machinery and electrical equipment safety or product compliance are available.
Register
CE software for systematic and professional safety engineering
Practical seminars on aspects of risk assessment and ce-marking
With the CE InfoService you stay informed about important developments in the field of product safety.