What ATEX 2014/34/EU actually requires of manufacturers

If you sell equipment intended for hazardous areas on the EU market — whether you manufacture in the EU or import from elsewhere — you must comply with ATEX 2014/34/EU. CE marking with the Ex symbol is mandatory.

The compliance steps :

1. Risk assessment : identify potential ignition sources, evaluate against EHSRs (Annex II of the Directive)
2. Design per harmonized standards : the IEC 60079 series mostly. Compliance with harmonized standards gives “presumption of conformity” to EHSRs.
3. Conformity assessment : appropriate module(s) depending on category
4. Technical file assembly and maintenance
5. Declaration of Conformity (EU DoC) signed by manufacturer
6. CE + Ex marking affixed to product
7. Notified Body involvement for Cat 1 and Cat 2 (mandatory) ; Cat 3 gas can self-declare
8. Market surveillance preparedness : authorities can request documentation, perform unannounced audits

Conformity assessment modules per category

Category	Module B (EU Type Exam by NB)	Production QA
Cat 1 G/D, Cat M1	Mandatory	Module D (Production QA), E (Product QA), or F (Verification) — all by NB
Cat 2 G/D, Cat M2	Mandatory	Module D, E, or F by NB
Cat 3 G	NOT mandatory (self-declaration possible)	Internal Production Control sufficient
Cat 3 D	Mandatory	Module D, E, or F

This is why Cat 3 G equipment (Zone 2 gas) is dramatically cheaper to certify than Cat 2 — no Notified Body involvement, no recurring audits.

The 2014 vs 1994 differences

The 1994 directive (94/9/EC, popularly called “ATEX 95” because of its number in old EU directive numbering) was largely re-numbered in 2014 with minor technical changes :

• Alignment with the “New Legislative Framework” — more rigorous market surveillance, traceability obligations
• Importers and distributors share responsibility (not just manufacturers)
• Documentation retention 10 years (was 10 years before, stricter now)
• EU declaration of conformity must be in the language of the destination Member State

Technically, equipment certified to 94/9/EC remains valid (no retrospective requirement). New certifications since April 2016 are issued against 2014/34/EU.

CE / Ex marking — what must appear

[CE marking]   [NB number]   |II 2 G   Ex db IIC T4 Gb   IECEx PTB 14.0123X
                                    Manufacturer name, type, serial, year
                                    ATEX certificate number : PTB 14 ATEX 0567 X

The components :

• CE marking : indicates compliance with applicable EU directives (could be multiple ; Ex equipment often combines with EMC, Low Voltage, RoHS, etc.)
• NB number : the 4-digit Notified Body number who issued the certificate, only present if NB involved (Cat 1/2)
• Ex marking per IEC 60079-0 : the technical specification of suitable zones
• Certificate references : ATEX certificate (mandatory in EU), IECEx certificate (optional, indicates global usability)

“X” suffix on certificate — important detail

A certificate ending in “X” (e.g., PTB 14 ATEX 0567 X) has specific conditions of use documented in the certificate. Common conditions :

• Restricted ambient temperature range
• Specific cable gland required
• Additional bonding requirements
• Limited operating modes

Installation must respect these conditions. Missing the X suffix conditions = non-compliant installation, even if equipment is properly marked.

Ongoing harmonization with the EU Machinery Regulation 2027

The EU Machinery Regulation 2027 (replacing Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC) will harmonize more tightly with ATEX for machines used in hazardous areas. Currently, a Cat 2G compressor must comply with BOTH Machinery Directive AND ATEX 2014/34/EU — two separate technical files, two sets of audits. The future regulation aims to streamline this for genuine Machinery+Ex equipment.