Simple Pressure Vessels Directive (SPVD) 2014/29/EU
Directive 2014/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of simple pressure vessels — the "SPVD" — replaced Directive 2009/105/EC and has applied since 20 April 2016. It covers serial-produced welded vessels of carbon steel or non-alloy aluminium intended to contain air or nitrogen at gauge pressure greater than 0.5 bar, with specific limits on stored energy. Published as OJ L 96, 29.3.2014, p. 45.
Legal status and timeline
- Adoption: 26 February 2014.
- Date of application: 20 April 2016.
- Repeal of Directive 2009/105/EC: 20 April 2016.
- Status (October 2026): applies, as amended by Directive (EU) 2024/2749 (emergency procedures for an internal market emergency, applicable from 30 May 2026).
Scope: products covered
The Directive applies to vessels manufactured in series meeting all of the following criteria (Article 1(1)):
- Welded simple pressure vessels;
- Pressurised parts made of non-alloy quality steel, non-alloy aluminium or non-age-hardening aluminium alloys;
- Not exposed to a flame;
- Intended to contain air or nitrogen;
- Designed to operate with internal gauge pressure greater than 0.5 bar;
- Maximum working pressure PS not exceeding 30 bar, and PS × V (product of maximum working pressure in bar and capacity in litres) not exceeding 10,000 bar·L;
- Minimum working temperature −50°C; maximum working temperature 300°C for steel, 100°C for aluminium.
Exclusions (Article 1(2))
- Vessels specifically designed for nuclear use;
- Vessels intended for installation in or for use as part of the propulsion of ships and aircraft;
- Fire extinguishers.
Below threshold
Vessels with PS × V ≤ 50 bar·L are not subject to the Annex I essential safety requirements or to the conformity assessment procedures of Article 13. They are not CE-marked under the SPVD but must be designed and manufactured in accordance with sound engineering practice in one of the Member States (Article 4(2)) and bear the inscriptions laid down in Annex III, point 1.2 (Article 6(2)).
Relationship with the PED
Vessels in scope of the SPVD are excluded from the Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU by PED Article 1(2)(c). The SPVD is therefore the applicable directive for vessels meeting its specific criteria; the PED applies to other pressure equipment.
Categories
Directive 2014/29/EU does not use named categories; the applicable procedures depend on the PS × V product (Article 13):
- PS × V > 3,000 bar·L — most stringent production-phase route.
- 200 bar·L < PS × V ≤ 3,000 bar·L.
- 50 bar·L < PS × V ≤ 200 bar·L.
- PS × V ≤ 50 bar·L — sound engineering practice, no CE marking.
Essential safety requirements (Annex I)
Annex I sets the essential safety requirements in four sections: materials; vessel design (including calculation of wall thickness or design by experiment, and accessories); manufacturing processes (including welding qualification); and putting into service of the vessels. The Annex includes specific calculation methods for stress-coefficient values that have effectively standardised material and weld qualification approaches.
Conformity assessment procedures
Article 13 and Annex II provide:
- All vessels above 50 bar·L — EU type-examination (Module B), either design type (only where harmonised standards are applied) or production type, followed by:
- Above 3,000 bar·L — Module C1 (conformity to type based on internal production control plus supervised vessel testing).
- 200–3,000 bar·L — Module C1, or Module C2 (conformity to type plus supervised vessel checks at random intervals).
- 50–200 bar·L — Module C1, or Module C (conformity to type based on internal production control).
A Notified Body is always involved through Module B. Under Article 16(3), the CE marking is followed by the identification number of the Notified Body involved in the production control phase (Modules C1 and C2).
Technical documentation
Annex II Module-specific provisions set the documentation contents — design calculations, welding procedure qualification, material certificates (typically EN 10204 3.1), NDT documentation, test reports. Retention: 10 years after the vessel has been placed on the market (Article 6(3)). See technical documentation.
EU Declaration of Conformity
Article 14 and Annex IV. See EU Declaration of Conformity.
Marking and labelling
Articles 15 and 16 govern the CE marking and the Notified Body identification number. Annex III, point 1, requires the CE marking with the last two digits of the year in which it was affixed, and inscriptions on the vessel or its data plate: maximum working pressure PS, maximum and minimum working temperatures, capacity V, the manufacturer's name, registered trade name or registered trade mark and address, and the type and serial or batch identification. For vessels at or below the 50 bar·L threshold, the Annex III point 1.2 inscriptions are required but no CE marking applies.
Harmonised standards
EN 286 series — Simple unfired pressure vessels designed to contain air or nitrogen. Parts cover general-purpose vessels (286-1), vessels for air braking and auxiliary systems of motor vehicles and their trailers (286-2), and steel and aluminium alloy vessels for air braking and auxiliary pneumatic equipment of railway rolling stock (286-3 and 286-4). See harmonised standards.
Recent and upcoming changes
The only amendment since 2016 is Directive (EU) 2024/2749, which adds emergency procedures that operate only when an internal market emergency is activated (applicable from 30 May 2026). The EN 286 series has been periodically revised; current dated editions are listed in the OJEU.
Related legislation
- Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU — applies to pressure equipment not within SPVD scope.
- Directive 2010/35/EU (TPED) — covers transportable pressure equipment.
- ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU — applies in parallel where vessels are used in explosive atmospheres.
- Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 — applies in parallel where vessels form part of machinery.
Common errors
- CE marking on vessels below 50 bar·L. Vessels below this threshold are not CE-marked under the SPVD.
- Treating the PED as applying. The SPVD excludes the PED for vessels in its scope. Cross-listing both is incorrect.
- Use for fluids other than air or nitrogen. Vessels in scope of the SPVD must contain air or nitrogen. Use with other fluids takes the vessel out of SPVD scope and into the PED.
- Missing material traceability documents. EN 10204 3.1 (or equivalent) certificates are typically required by EN 286 for steel grades.
Sources
- Directive 2014/29/EU (SPVD) — EUR-Lex consolidated text.
- European Commission — SPVD sector page.
- Commission Notice — Blue Guide 2022 — EUR-Lex.