Product Safety
The European pump industry is committed to placing safe products on the market. Five pieces of EU legislation frame the safety of pumps and pump units: the Machinery Regulation, the ATEX, PED, EMC and LVD directives. This page summarises what each one covers, what it means specifically for pumps, and where to find the official texts and guidance.
Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230
The Regulation sets out health and safety requirements for the design and construction of machinery, related products and partly completed machinery, so that they can be placed on the market while ensuring a high level of protection for users — and, where relevant, domestic animals, property and the environment. It also guarantees the free movement of these products within the Union.
Key date: published in 2023, the Machinery Regulation becomes mandatory on 14 January 2027, repealing the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.
Main novelties compared to the Machinery Directive:
- digital instructions are allowed;
- new requirements on "substantial modification", AI-powered safety functions, software as a safety component and cyber-safety.
For pumps: safety requirements for pumps and pump units are specified in the harmonized standard EN 809.
Key resources: official text · EU guideline · Europump guideline
ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU
The ATEX Directive covers equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres, together with the safety, controlling and regulating devices that contribute to their safe functioning, and the components intended to be incorporated into them.
For pumps: pumps and pump units are considered mechanical equipment; only pumps operating in Zone 0 require the approval of a Notified Body.
Key resources: official text · EU guideline · Europump guideline (new guidelines under development on both sides)
Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) 2014/68/EU
The PED applies to the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure above 0.5 bar. It excludes equipment for which pressure is not a significant design factor — which is the case of pumps, alongside engines, turbines and compressors, where dimensioning is driven by strength, rigidity and stability requirements.
For pumps: the manufacturer must verify that the exclusion actually applies to their pump or pump unit — certain components, such as the seal system, may still fall under the PED.
Key resources: official text · EU guideline · Europump position paper (November 2019)
EMC Directive 2014/30/EU
The EMC Directive regulates the electromagnetic compatibility of equipment: it ensures the functioning of the internal market by requiring equipment to comply with an adequate level of electromagnetic compatibility.
Key resources: official text · EU guideline · Europump guideline (June 1996)
Low Voltage Directive (LVD) 2014/35/EU
The LVD ensures that electrical equipment on the market provides a high level of protection for the health and safety of persons, domestic animals and property. It applies to electrical equipment designed for use between 50 and 1,000 V AC or 75 and 1,500 V DC, with the exceptions listed in its Annex II.
Key resources: official text · EU guideline