Directive 2014/68/EU of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

4. Design examination

4.1. The manufacturer shall lodge an application for examination of the design of each item of pressure equipment not covered by a previous design examination with the notified body referred to in point 3.1.

4.2. The application shall make it possible to understand the design, manufacture and operation of the pressure equipment, and to assess the conformity with the requirements of this Directive that apply to it. It shall include:

• the name and address of the manufacturer,

• a written declaration that the same application has not been lodged with any other notified body,

• the technical documentation. The documentation shall make it possible to assess the conformity of the pressure equipment with the relevant requirements, and shall include an adequate analysis and assessment of the risk(s). The technical documentation shall specify the applicable requirements and cover, as far as relevant for the assessment, the design and operation of the pressure equipment. The technical documentation shall, wherever applicable, contain at least the following elements:

  • a general description of the pressure equipment,

  • conceptual design and manufacturing drawings and diagrams of components, sub-assemblies, circuits, etc.,

  • descriptions and explanations necessary for the understanding of those drawings and diagrams and the operation of the pressure equipment,

  • a list of the harmonised standards the references of which have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, applied in full or in part, and descriptions of the solutions adopted to meet the essential safety requirements of this Directive, where those harmonised standards have not been applied. In the event of partly applied harmonised standards, the technical documentation shall specify the parts which have been applied,

  • results of design calculations made, examinations carried out, etc., and

  • test reports,

• the supporting evidence for the adequacy of the technical design. This supporting evidence shall mention any documents that have been used, in particular where the relevant harmonised standards have not been applied in full, and shall include, where necessary, the results of tests carried out by the appropriate laboratory of the manufacturer or by another testing laboratory on his behalf and under his responsibility.

4.3. The notified body shall examine the application, and where the design meets the requirements of this Directive that apply to the pressure equipment it shall issue an EU design examination certificate to the manufacturer. The certificate shall give the name and address of the manufacturer, the conclusions of the examination, the conditions (if any) for its validity and the data necessary for identification of the approved design. The certificate may have one or more annexes attached.

The certificate and its annexes shall contain all relevant information to allow the conformity of manufactured products with the examined design to be evaluated, and to allow for in-service control, where applicable.

Where the design does not satisfy the applicable requirements of this Directive, the notified body shall refuse to issue a design examination certificate and shall inform the applicant accordingly, giving detailed reasons for its refusal.

4.4. The notified body shall keep itself apprised of any changes in the generally acknowledged state of the art which indicate that the approved design may no longer comply with the applicable requirements of this Directive, and shall determine whether such changes require further investigation. If so, the notified body shall inform the manufacturer accordingly.

The manufacturer shall keep the notified body that has issued the EU design examination certificate informed of any modification to the approved design that may affect the conformity with the essential safety requirements of this Directive or the conditions for validity of the certificate. Such modifications shall require additional approval — from the notified body that issued the EU design examination certificate — in the form of an addition to the original EU design examination certificate.

4.5. Each notified body shall inform its notifying authorities of the EU design examination certificates and/or any additions thereto which it has issued or withdrawn, and shall, periodically or upon request, make available to its notifying authorities the list of certificates and/or any additions thereto refused, suspended or otherwise restricted.

Each notified body shall inform the other notified bodies of the EU design examination certificates and/or any additions thereto which it has refused, withdrawn, suspended or otherwise restricted, and, upon request, of the certificates and/or additions thereto which it has issued.

The Commission, the Member States and the other notified bodies may, on request, obtain a copy of the EU design examination certificates and/or additions thereto. On request, the Commission and the Member States may obtain a copy of the technical documentation and of the results of the examinations carried out by the notified body.

The notified body shall keep a copy of the EU design examination certificate, its annexes and additions, as well as the technical file including the documentation submitted by the manufacturer until the expiry of the validity of the certificate.

4.6. The manufacturer shall keep a copy of the EU design examination certificate, its annexes and additions together with the technical documentation at the disposal of the national authorities for 10 years after the pressure equipment has been placed on the market.