Introduction 序論

1. These ATEX Guidelines are intended to be a manual for all parties directly or indirectly affected by Directive 2014/34/EU, commonly referred to as the ATEX ("Atmosphères explosibles") "product" directive, applicable from 20 April 2016, replacing the previous Directive 94/9/EC applicable from 1 July 2003 until 19 April 2016.

2. Readers' attention is drawn to the fact that these Guidelines are intended only to facilitate the application of Directive 2014/34/EU, and it is the relevant national transposition of the text of the Directive which is legally binding. However, this document does represent a reference for ensuring consistent application of the Directive by all interested parties and stakeholders. The ATEX Guidelines are intended to help ensure the free movement of products within the scope of the ATEX Directive in the European Union by consensus amongst Member States' government experts and other parties concerned.

3. These Guidelines have been prepared by the competent services of the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), in co-operation with representatives and experts from EU Member States, European standardisation, notified bodies, industry and other relevant sectoral stakeholders. They are based on the last issue (4th Edition - September 2012 - Revision December 2013) of the Guidelines on the application of Directive 94/9/EC, applicable until 19 April 2016, as well as on other horizontal and vertical guidance documents.

4. The European Commission services will undertake to maintain these Guidelines. It is our goal to ensure that the information provided is both timely and accurate. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them as soon as possible. However, the Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to the information in this document. This information is:

of a general nature only and is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual or entity;

not necessarily comprehensive, complete, accurate or up-to-date;

sometimes refers to external information over which the Commission services have no control and for which the Commission assumes no responsibility;

not professional or legal advice.

5. All references to the CE marking and the EU declaration of conformity in these ATEX Guidelines relate only to the Directive 2014/34/EU. To place products falling under Directive 2014/34/EU in the European Union territory, all other relevant legislation must be applied. For wider information on the whole system, see the latest version of "The 'Blue Guide' on the implementation of EU product rules", available in all the EU official languages on https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2022:247:TOC..

6. Further guidance, especially concerning specific types of products, can be found on the European Commission's website on EUROPA regarding ATEX: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/mechanical-engineering/atex/. Any query can be addressed to the GROW ATEX functional mailbox: GROW-DIR-ATEX@ec.europa.eu.