Standards, Directives and Laws: Directives

Of the almost 30 active directives now available, only a small selection is relevant to the typical machine builder. Some directives may have a very long or bureaucratic title in addition to the directive number (e.g. 2006/42/EC). Variations can be seen in the last part of the directive number. This will contain EC, EU, EG, EWG or some other abbreviation, depending on the language area and issue date. As a result it is generally very difficult to name the directive. These long titles are often abbreviated separately, even though this can  also lead to misunderstandings. Here is a list of some of the key directives with both their official title and  their usual, though unofficial, abbreviated title:

Click to view larger

The aim of the directives is to guarantee freedom of movement within the EU. The full texts of the directives http://eur-lex.europa.eu/de/legis/index.htm are available from the EU. Of all these directives, only the  Machinery Directive will be examined here in any further detail. However, the list of relevant standards will naturally refer to standards that relate to other directives.

Seven Steps to a CE Mark: Step Two, Check the Appplication of Additional Directives

Where machinery is also subject to other EU directives, which cover different aspects but also provide for the affixing of the CE mark, the provisions of these directives must be met before the CE mark is applied. If the machine contains electrical equipment, for example, it will often be subject to the Low Voltage Directive and, possibly, the EMC Directive too.