Directive 2000/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 20 March 2000
relating to cableway installations designed to carry persons
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in
particular Article 47(2) and Articles 55 and 95 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(2),
Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the
Treaty(3),
Whereas:
(1) Cableway installations designed to carry persons (hereinafter referred to as
"cableway installations") are designed, manufactured, put into service
and operated with the object of carrying persons. Principally, cableway
installations are mountain lift systems used in high-altitude tourist resorts
and consisting of funicular railways, cable cars, gondolas, chairlifts and drag
lifts, but may also consist of cableway installations used in urban transport
facilities. Some types of cableway installation may use other, completely
different basic principles which cannot be excluded a priori. Therefore,
provision should be made for introducing specific requirements designed to
achieve the same safety objectives as those laid down in this Directive.
(2) Cableway installations are principally operated in connection with tourism,
particularly in mountain areas, which plays an important role in the economy of
the regions concerned and is becoming an increasingly important factor in the
trade balances of the Member States. From a technical point of view, the
cableway installations sector also ranks among the industrial activities linked
to the production of capital equipment and to activities in the building and
civil engineering sector.
(3) Member States are responsible for ensuring the safety of cableway
installations at the time of manufacture, putting into service and during
operation. Moreover, they are responsible together with the competent
authorities for such matters as land-use, regional planning and environmental
protection. National regulations differ widely as a result of techniques
peculiar to the national industry as well as local customs and knowhow. They
stipulate specific dimensions and devices and particular characteristics. In the
light of these circumstances, manufacturers are obliged to redefine their
equipment for each market. This makes it difficult to provide standard solutions
and adversely affects competitiveness.
(4) The essential health and safety requirements must be observed in order to
ensure that cableway installations are safe. Those requirements are to be
applied with discernment to take account of the state of the art at the time of
construction and of technical and economic requirements.
(5) Further, cableway installations may straddle frontiers and the construction
thereof may run up against conflicting national rules.
(6) Steps should be taken to define, on a Community-wide basis, essential human
safety and health requirements, environmental protection and consumer protection
requirements applicable to cableway installations, subsystems and their safety
components. Without this, mutual recognition of national regulatory provisions
would create insoluble political and technical difficulties as regards
interpretation and liability. By the same token, standardisation without prior
definition of harmonised regulatory requirements is not sufficient to solve the
problems.
(7) Responsibility for approving cableway installations is generally vested in a
service of the competent national authorities; in certain cases, approval of the
components cannot be obtained beforehand but only when the customer applies for
such approval. By the same token, the requisite inspection of the cableway
installation prior to its entry into service may result in the rejection of
certain components or in diverse technological solutions. Such a state of
affairs leads to increased costs and longer delivery periods and is particularly
penalising for foreign manufacturers. Moreover, cableway installations are also
carefully monitored by the public services when they are operational. The causes
of serious accidents may be linked to the choice of site, to the system of
transport itself, to the structures, or to the way in which the system is
operated and maintained.
(8) In these circumstances, the safety of cableway installations depends equally
on the surrounding conditions, on the quality of the industrial goods supplied
and on the way in which they are assembled, installed on site and monitored
during operation. This underlines the importance of having a general overview of
cableway installations in order to assess the level of safety and of adopting a
common approach at Community level to quality assurance. In these circumstances,
in order to enable manufacturers to overcome their present difficulties and in
order to enable users to derive the full benefit from cableway installations and
to enjoy an equal level of development in all Member States, a set of
requirements should be defined, together with control and inspection procedures
to be applied uniformly in all Member States.
(9) Persons using cableways, from all Member States and beyond, must be ensured
a satisfactory level of safety. In order to meet this requirement, it is
necessary to define procedures and examination, control and inspection methods.
This necessitates the use of standardised technical devices which must be
incorporated in cableway installations.
(10) Where Council Directive 85/337/EEC(4) so requires, the effects of cableway
installations on the environment must be assessed; above and beyond the effects
mentioned in that Directive, both environmental protection and requirements in
connection with the sustainable development of tourism should be taken into
account.
(11) Cableway installation may come within the scope of Council Directive 93/38/EEC
of 14 June 1993 coordinating the procurement procedures of entities operating in
the water, energy, transport and telecommunications sectors(5).
(12) Technical specifications should be included in the general documentation or
in the technical specifications peculiar to each contract. Those technical
specifications must be defined by reference to European specifications where
such specifications exist.
(13) In order to make it easier to prove that the essential requirements have
been complied with, it is useful to have harmonised European standards,
compliance with which enables it to be presumed that the product is in
conformity with the said essential requirements. Harmonised European standards
are drawn up by private bodies and must retain their non-mandatory status. For
this purpose, the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the European
Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (Cenelec) are recognised as the
bodies competent to adopt harmonised standards that follow the general
guidelines for cooperation between the Commission and those two bodies signed on
13 November 1984.
(14) For the purposes of this Directive, a harmonised standard is a technical
specification (European standard or harmonisation document) adopted by one or
other of those bodies, or by both, at the request of the Commission pursuant to
Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998
laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of
technical standards and regulations and of rules on information society
services(6) and in accordance with the general guidelines referred to above. In
relation to standardisation, the Commission should be assisted by the committee
referred to in that Directive, which will, if necessary, consult technical
experts.
(15) Only safety components or subsystems of an installation which conform to a
national standard transposing a harmonised standard the reference of which has
been published in the Official Journal of the European Communities, are deemed
to conform to the relevant essential requirements of this Directive, regardless
of the need for any special justification.
(16) In the absence of European specifications, the technical specifications
should as far as possible be defined by reference to other standards in use in
the Community. Main contractors may define the additional specifications needed
to supplement the European specifications or other standards. These provisions
must ensure that the harmonised Community-level requirements with which cableway
installations must comply are satisfied.
(17) It is, moreover, in the interest of the Member States to have an
international standardisation system capable of producing standards which are
actually used by international trading partners and satisfy the requirements of
Community policy.
(18) In certain Member States at the moment in the general documentation or
specifications peculiar to each contract, main contractors may indicate the
control and inspection procedures. Those procedures must in future, notably in
the case of safety components, fall within the framework of the Council
resolution of 21 December 1989 concerning a global approach to conformity
assessment(7). The concept of safety component applies not only to physical
objects but also to intangible objects such as software. The procedures for
assessing the conformity of safety components must be based on use of the
modules provided for in Council Decision 93/465/EEC(8). In the case of critical
safety components, the principles and conditions for the application of design
quality assurance should be defined; such an approach is necessary in order to
promote the general adoption of the quality assurance system in undertakings.
(19) When conducting methodical safety analysis of cableway installations, it is
necessary to identify the components on which the safety of the cableway
installation depends.
(20) In their contractual documents, main contractors lay down, by reference to
European specifications, the characteristics which manufacturers are under a
contractual obligation to observe, particularly for safety components. In these
circumstances, the conformity of the components is linked principally to their
field of use and not solely to free movement on the Community market.
(21) Safety components should bear the CE marking to be affixed either by the
manufacturer or by his authorised representative established within the
Community. The CE marking means that the safety component complies with the
provisions of this Directive and those of other applicable Community Directives
on CE marking.
(22) It is not necessary to affix the CE marking to subsystems subject to the
provisions of this Directive but, on the basis of the assessment of conformity
following the procedures laid down for this purpose in this Directive, the
declaration of conformity will suffice. This is without prejudice to the
obligation incumbent on manufacturers to affix the CE marking to certain
subsystems in order to certify that they conform with other Community provisions
applicable to them.
(23) Member States' responsibility for safety, health and other aspects covered
by the essential requirements on their territory must be recognised in a
safeguard clause providing for the appropriate Community procedures.
(24) A procedure is necessary for the inspection of subsystems of cableway
installations before they are put into service. Such inspection must enable the
authorities to satisfy themselves that at each stage of the design,
manufacturing and entry into service, the result obtained conforms with the
applicable provisions of this Directive. This must enable manufacturers to count
on equal treatment, irrespective of the Member State in question. The principles
and conditions governing EC verification of subsystems of installations should
therefore be defined.
(25) The constraints linked to the operation of cableway installations must be
taken into account in the safety analysis, albeit not in such a way as to
jeopardise the principle of free movement of goods or the safety of cableway
installations. Consequently, although this Directive does not cover the actual
operation of cableway installations, the Commission should propose to the Member
States a series of recommendations designed to ensure that such installations
situated on their territory are operated in such a way as to offer users,
operating personnel and third parties a high degree of protection.
(26) In the case of cableway installations, full-scale tests can be carried out
on technological innovations only on the construction of a new installation. In
these circumstances, a procedure should be provided for which, while ensuring
that the essential requirements are complied with, also enables special
conditions to be established.
(27) Cableway installations for which authorisation has been given but in
connection with which building work has not yet started or which are already
under construction must comply with the provisions of this Directive, unless
Member States decide otherwise, giving their reasons, and an equally high level
of protection is achieved. The provisions of this Directive must be complied
with where existing cableway installations are modified if national legislation
requires such modifications to be authorised.
(28) It is not necessary to require all existing cableway installations to be
brought into conformity with the provisions applicable to new installations.
However, this may prove necessary if the essential safety objectives are not
complied with. In that event, the Commission should propose to the Member States
a series of recommendations designed to ensure that existing cableway
installations on their territory afford users a high degree of protection in the
light of the provisions applicable in this field to new installations.
(29) Particularly in the absence of a European specification, the notified
bodies responsible for procedures for assessing the conformity both of safety
components and of subsystems of cable installations must coordinate their
decisions as closely as possible. The Commission must ensure that they do so.
(30) Implementation of the essential requirements, particularly with regard to
the safety of the installation, and coordination of all procedures call for the
establishment of a committee.
(31) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Directive should be
adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying
down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the
Commission(9),
HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1
1. This Directive shall apply to cableway installations designed to carry
persons.
2. For the purposes of this Directive "cableway installations designed to
carry persons" shall mean installations made up of several components,
designed, manufactured, assembled and put into service with the object of
carrying persons.
These on-site installations are used for the carriage of persons in vehicles or
by towing devices, whereby the suspension and/or traction is provided by cables
positioned along the line of travel.
3. The installations concerned are:
(a) funicular railways and other installations with vehicles mounted on wheels
or on other suspension devices where traction is provided by one or more cables;
(b) cable cars where the cabins are lifted and/or displaced by one or more
carrier cables; this category also includes gondolas and chair lifts;
(c) drag lifts, where users with appropriate equipment are dragged by means of a
cable.
4. This Directive shall apply to:
- installations built and put into service, as from its entry into force,
- subsystems and safety components placed on the market, as from its entry into
force.
It concerns such harmonisation provisions as are necessary and sufficient in
order to ensure and guarantee compliance with the essential requirements
referred to in Article 3(1).
In the event that important characteristics, subsystems or safety components of
existing installations undergo modifications for which a new authorisation for
entry into service is required by the Member State in question, such
modifications and their repercussions on the installation as a whole must
satisfy the essential requirements referred to in Article 3(1).
5. For the purposes of this Directive:
- "installation" shall mean the whole on-site system, consisting of
infrastructure and the subsystems listed in Annex I where infrastructure
specially designed for each installation and constructed on site shall mean the
layout, system data, station structures and structures along the line, which are
needed for the construction and the operation of the installation, including the
foundations,
- "safety component" shall mean any basic component, set of
components, subassembly or complete assembly of equipment and any device
incorporated in the installation for the purpose of ensuring a safety function
and identified by the safety analysis, the failure of which endangers the safety
or health of persons, be they users, operating personnel or third parties,
- "main contractor" shall mean any natural or legal person who
commissions the construction of an installation,
- "operability" shall mean all the technical provisions and measures
which have an impact on design and realisation and are necessary in order for
the installation to operate safely,
- "maintainability" shall mean all the technical provisions and
measures which have an impact on design and realisation and are necessary for
maintenance designed to ensure that the installation operates safely.
6. This Directive shall not apply to:
- lifts within the meaning of Directive 95/16/EC(10),
- cable-operated tramways of traditional construction,
- installations used for agricultural purposes,
- on-site or mobile equipment for use in fairgrounds and/or amusement parks
which are designed for leisure purposes and not as a means for transporting
persons,
- mining installations or on-site installations used for industrial purposes,
- cable-operated ferries,
- rack railways,
- chain-driven installations.
Article 2
1. This Directive shall apply without prejudice to other Community Directives,
although compliance with the essential requirements laid down in this Directive
may call for the application of special European specifications established for
that purpose.
2. "European specification" shall mean a common technical
specification, a European technical approval or a national standard transposing
a European standard.
3. The references of European specifications, which may be common technical
specifications, European technical approvals within the meaning of Directive
93/38/EEC or national standards used to transpose harmonised European standards,
shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
4. Member States shall publish the references of national standards used to
transpose harmonised European standards.
5. In the absence of harmonised European standards, Member States shall take the
necessary measures to inform parties concerned of those existing national
standards and technical specifications which are regarded as important or useful
for ensuring proper transposition of the essential requirements referred to in
Article 3(1).
6. Those technical specifications which are also required to supplement European
specifications or other standards must not jeopardise compliance with the
essential requirements referred to in Article 3(1).
7. Where a Member State or the Commission considers that a European
specification as referred to in paragraph 2 does not entirely satisfy the
essential requirements referred to in Article 3(1), the Commission or the Member
State concerned shall bring the matter before the committee referred to in
Article 17 giving the reasons therefor. The committee shall deliver an opinion
without delay.
In the light of the committee's opinion and following consultations with the
committee set up pursuant to Directive 98/34/EC in the case of harmonised
European standards, the Commission shall inform the Member States whether or not
it is necessary to withdraw the European specifications in question from the
published information referred to in paragraph 3.
Article 3
1. The installations and their infrastructure, subsystems and safety components
of an installation must comply with the essential requirements which are laid
down in Annex II and are applicable to them.
2. Where a national standard transposing a harmonised European standard the
reference for which has been published in the Official Journal of the European
Communities covers the essential safety requirements laid down in Annex II, the
installations and their infrastructure, subsystems and safety components of any
installation constructed in accordance with the standard shall be presumed to
comply with the relevant essential requirements.
Article 4
1. At the request of the main contractor or his authorised representative, all
planned installations shall be subject to a safety analysis as defined in Annex
III which covers all safety aspects of the system and its surroundings in the
context of the design, realisation and putting into service and makes it
possible to identify from past experience risks liable to occur during
operation.
2. The safety analysis shall be the subject of a safety report recommending the
measures envisaged to deal with any such risks and including a list of the
safety components and subsystems which must be covered by the provisions of
Chapter II or III, as the case may be.
CHAPTER II
SAFETY COMPONENTS
Article 5
1. Member States shall take all necessary measures to ensure that safety
components:
- are placed on the market only if they permit the construction of installations
complying with the essential requirements referred to in Article 3(1),
- are put into service only if they permit the construction of installations
which are not liable to endanger the health or safety of persons or, where
applicable, the safety of property when properly installed and maintained and
used for their intended purpose.
2. This Directive shall not affect Member States' entitlement to lay down, in
compliance with the Treaty, such requirements as they may deem necessary to
ensure that persons and in particular workers are protected when using the
installations in question, provided that this does not mean that the
installations are modified in a way not specified in the Directive.
Article 6
Member States may not, on the basis of this Directive, prohibit, restrict or
impede the placing on their national markets of safety components intended to be
used in an installation where such components comply with the provisions of this
Directive.
Article 7
1. Member States shall regard safety components referred to in Article 4(2)
bearing the CE conformity marking shown in Annex IX and accompanied by the EC
declaration of conformity provided for in Annex IV as conforming with all the
relevant provisions of this Directive.
2. Before a safety component is placed on the market, the manufacturer or his
authorised representative established in the Community must:
(a) submit the safety component to a conformity assessment procedure in
accordance with Annex V, and
(b) affix the CE conformity marking on the safety component and, on the basis of
the modules laid down in Decision 93/465/EEC, draw up an EC declaration of
conformity in accordance with Annex IV.
3. The procedure for assessing safety component conformity shall be carried out
at the request of the manufacturer or his authorised representative established
in the Community by the notified body referred to in Article 16 and appointed by
him for this purpose.
4. Where the safety components are subject to other Directives concerning other
aspects and which also provide for the affixing of the CE conformity marking,
the marking shall indicate that the safety component is also presumed to conform
to the provisions of those other Directives.
5. Where neither the manufacturer nor his authorised representative established
in the Community has complied with the obligations of paragraphs 1 to 4, those
obligations shall devolve on whomsoever places the safety component on the
market in the Community. The same obligations shall apply to whomsoever
manufactures safety components for his own use.
CHAPTER III
SUBSYSTEMS
Article 8
Member States shall take all necessary measures to ensure that subsystems within
the meaning of Annex I are placed on the market only if they permit the
construction of installations complying with the essential requirements referred
to in Article 3(1).
Article 9
Member States may not, on the basis of this Directive, prohibit, restrict or
impede the placing on their national markets for use in an installation, of
subsystems which comply with the provisions of this Directive.
Article 10
1. Member States shall regard subsystems within the meaning of Annex I which are
accompanied by the EC declaration of conformity based on the model provided for
in Annex VI and by the technical documentation provided for in paragraph 3 of
this Article, as conforming with the relevant essential requirements referred to
in Article 3(1).
2. The EC procedure for examining subsystems shall be carried out at the request
of the manufacturer or his authorised representative established in the
Community or, in their absence, any natural or legal person who places the
subsystem in question on the market, by the notified body referred to in Article
16 which the manufacturer or his authorised representative or the abovementioned
person appointed for that purpose. The EC declaration of conformity shall be
drawn up by the manufacturer or his authorised representative or the
abovementioned person on the basis of the EC examination in accordance with
Annex VII.
3. The notified body shall draw up the EC examination certificate in accordance
with Annex VII and the technical documentation which accompanies it. The
technical documentation must include all the necessary documents concerning the
characteristics of the subsystem and, where appropriate, all the documents
certifying the conformity of the safety components. It must also contain all the
relevant details of the conditions of, and restrictions on, use and of the
instructions for servicing.
CHAPTER IV
INSTALLATIONS
Article 11
1. Each Member State shall lay down procedures for authorising the construction
and the putting into service of installations which are located within its
territory.
2. Member States shall take all appropriate measures and determine the
procedures to ensure that safety components and subsystems referred to in Annex
I incorporated in installations constructed in their territory are installed and
put into service only if they permit the construction of installations which are
not liable to endanger the safety and health of persons or, where applicable,
the safety of property, when properly installed and maintained and used in
accordance with their intended purpose.
3. Where a Member State considers a safety component or subsystem referred to in
Annex I to have been designed or constructed using an innovative approach, it
shall take all appropriate measures and may make the construction and/or putting
into service of an installation in which such innovative components or
subsystems are to be used subject to special conditions. It shall immediately
inform the Commission thereof, stating its reasons. The Commission shall
immediately refer the matter to the committee provided for in Article 17.
4. Member States shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the
installations are constructed and put into service only if they have been
designed and constructed in such a way as to guarantee compliance with the
essential requirements referred to in Article 3(1).
5. On the basis of the provisions referred to in paragraph 1, Member States may
not prohibit, restrict or hinder the free movement of safety components and
subsystems referred to in Annex I which are accompanied by an EC declaration of
conformity within the meaning of Article 7 or Article 10.
6. The safety analysis, the EC declarations of conformity and the accompanying
technical documentation relating to the safety components and subsystems
referred to in Annex I must be submitted by the main contractor or his
authorised representative to the authority responsible for approving the
installation, and a copy of them shall be kept at the installation.
7. Member States must ensure that the safety analysis, the safety report and the
technical documentation are provided and include all the documentation
concerning the characteristics of the installation and, where appropriate, all
the documents certifying the conformity of the safety components and subsystems
referred to in Annex I. In addition, documents must exist setting out the
necessary conditions, including the restrictions on operation, and full details
of servicing supervision, adjustment and maintenance.
Article 12
Without prejudice to other legislative provisions, Member States may not
prohibit, restrict or impede the construction and putting into service within
their territories of installations which comply with this Directive.
Article 13
Member States shall ensure that an installation remains in operation only if it
conforms to the conditions set out in the safety report.
CHAPTER V
SAFEGUARDS
Article 14
1. Where a Member State ascertains that a safety component bearing the CE
conformity marking placed on the market and used in accordance with its intended
purpose or a subsystem with an EC declaration of conformity as referred to in
Article 10(1), used in accordance with its intended, purpose, is liable to
endanger the safety and health of persons, and, where applicable, the safety of
property, it shall take all appropriate measures to restrict the conditions of
use of the component or subsystem or prohibit its use.
The Member State concerned shall immediately inform the Commission of any such
measure, indicating the reasons for its decision and whether non-conformity is
due, in particular, to:
(a) failure to satisfy the essential requirements referred to in Article 3(1),
(b) incorrect application of the European specifications referred to in Article
2(2) in so far as application of those specifications is invoked,
(c) shortcomings in the European specifications referred to in Article 2(2).
2. The Commission shall enter into consultation with the parties concerned at
the earliest opportunity. Where, after such consultation, the Commission finds
that:
- the measures are justified, it shall immediately so inform the Member State
which took the initiative and the other Member States; where the decision
referred to in paragraph 1 is based on shortcomings in the European
specifications, the Commission shall, after consulting the parties concerned,
initiate the procedure referred to in Article 2(7) if the Member State which has
taken the decision intends to maintain it,
- the measures relating to a safety component are unjustified, it shall
immediately so inform the manufacturer or his authorised representative
established in the Community and the Member State which took the measures,
- the measures relating to a subsystem are unjustified, it shall immediately so
inform the manufacturer or his authorised representative established in the
Community or, in their absence, any natural or legal person having placed the
subsystem in question on the market, and the Member State which took the
measures.
3. Where a safety component bearing the CE conformity marking is found not to
comply, the competent Member State shall take appropriate action against
whomsoever affixed that marking and drew up the EC declaration of conformity and
shall so inform the Commission and the other Member States.
4. Where a subsystem with an EC declaration of conformity is found not to
comply, the competent Member State shall take appropriate action against
whomsoever drew up the EC declaration of conformity and shall so inform the
Commission and the other Member States.
5. The Commission shall ensure that the Member States are kept informed of the
outcome of the procedure.
Article 15
If a Member State finds that an approved installation which is used in
accordance with its intended purpose is liable to endanger the safety and the
health of persons and, where appropriate, the safety of property, it shall take
all appropriate measures to restrict the conditions of operation of the
installation or to prohibit the operation thereof.
CHAPTER VI
NOTIFIED BODIES
Article 16
1. Member States shall notify the Commission and the other Member States of the
bodies responsible for carrying out the conformity assessment procedure referred
to in Articles 7 and in Article 10, specifying the field of competence of each
body. The Commission shall assign identification numbers to them. The Commission
shall publish in the Official Journal of the European Communities the list of
notified bodies, together with their identification number and their fields of
competence, and shall ensure that the list is kept up to date.
2. Member States must apply the criteria laid down in Annex VIII in assessing
the bodies to be notified. Bodies meeting the assessment criteria laid down in
the relevant harmonised European standards shall be presumed to fulfil those
criteria.
3. A Member State which has notified a body must withdraw its notification if it
finds that the body no longer meets the criteria laid down in Annex VIII. It
shall immediately inform the Commission and the other Member States thereof.
4. Should the need arise, coordination of the notified bodies shall be
implemented in accordance with Article 17.
CHAPTER VII
COMMITTEE
Article 17
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee.
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 3 and 7 of Decision
1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
3. The committee shall draw up its rules of procedure.
CHAPTER VIII
CE CONFORMITY MARKING
Article 18
1. The CE conformity marking shall consist of the letters "CE". Annex
IX sets out the model to be used.
2. The CE conformity marking shall be affixed to each safety component
distinctly and visibly or, where that is not possible, on a label inseparably
attached to the component.
3. The affixing on safety components of markings which are likely to mislead
third parties as to the meaning and form of the CE conformity marking shall be
prohibited. Any other marking may be affixed to the safety component, provided
that the visibility and legibility of the CE conformity marking are not thereby
reduced.
4. Without prejudice to Article 14:
(a) where a Member State establishes that the CE conformity marking has been
wrongly affixed, the manufacturer of the safety component or the authorised
representative of the latter established in the Community shall be obliged to
make the product conform as regards the provisions concerning the CE conformity
marking and to end the infringement under the conditions imposed by the Member
State;
(b) should non-conformity persist, the Member State must take all appropriate
measures to restrict or prohibit the placing on the market of the safety
component in question, or to ensure that it is withdrawn from the market in
accordance with the procedures provided for in Article 14.
CHAPTER IX
FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 19
Any decision taken pursuant to this Directive which restricts the use of safety
components or of a subsystem in an installation or the placing on the market
thereof shall state the grounds on which it is based. Such a decision shall be
notified at the earliest opportunity to the party concerned, who shall at the
same time be informed of the legal remedies available to him under the law in
force in the Member States concerned and of the time limits to which such
remedies are subject.
Article 20
Installations for which authorisation has been given before the entry into force
of this Directive and for which construction has not yet started must comply
with the provisions of this Directive, unless Member States decide otherwise,
stating their reasons, and an equally high level of protection is achieved.
Article 21
1. Member States shall adopt and publish the laws, regulations and
administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive not later than
3 May 2002. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.
When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain a reference to this
Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their
official publication. The methods of making such reference shall be laid down by
Member States.
2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the texts of the provisions
of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.
3. Member States shall, for a period of four years following entry into force of
this Directive, allow:
- the construction and putting into service of installations,
- the placing on the market of subsystems and safety components
which conform with the provisions in force in their territories on the date of
entry into force of this Directive.
4. The Commission shall report to the European Parliament and the Council on the
implementation of this Directive, and in particular Article 1(6) and 17 thereof,
not later than 3 May 2004 and, if necessary, submit any proposal for appropriate
amendments.
Article 22
This Directive shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the
Official Journal of the European Communities.
Article 23
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 20 March 2000.
For the European Parliament
The President
N. Fontaine
For the Council
The President
J. Gama
(1) OJ C 70, 8.3.1994, p. 8 and
OJ C 22, 26.1.1996, p. 12.
(2) OJ C 388, 31.12.1994, p. 26.
(3) Opinion of the European Parliament of 6 April 1995 (OJ C 109, 1.5.1995, p.
122), confirmed on 27 October 1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal),
Council common position of 28 June 1999 (OJ C 243, 27.8.1999, p. 1) and Decision
of the European Parliament of 27 October 1999 (not yet published in the Official
Journal). Council Decision of 16 December 1999.
(4) Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the
effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (OJ L 175,
5.7.1985, p. 40). Directive as last amended by Directive 97/11/EC (OJ L 73,
14.3.1997, p. 5).
(5) OJ L 199, 9.8.1993, p. 84. Directive as last amended by Directive 98/4/EC
(OJ L 101, 1.4.1998, p. 1).
(6) OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p. 37. Directive as amended by Directive 98/48/EC (OJ L
217, 5.8.1998, p. 18).
(7) OJ C 10, 16.1.1990, p. 1.
(8) Council Decision 93/465/EEC of 22 July 1993 concerning the modules for the
various phases of the conformity assessment procedures and the rules for the
affixing and use of the CE conformity marking, which are intended to be used in
the technical harmonisation Directives (OJ L 220, 30.8.1993, p. 23).
(9) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.
(10) Directive 95/16/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 June
1995 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to lifts (OJ
L 213, 7.9.1995, p. 1).
ANNEX I
SUBSYSTEMS OF AN INSTALLATION
For the purposes of this Directive, an installation is divided up into
infrastructure and the subsystems listed below, with exploitability and
maintainability having to be taken into account in each case:
1. Cables and cable connections
2. Drives and brakes
3. Mechanical equipment
3.1. Cable winding gear
3.2. Station machinery
3.3. Line engineering
4. Vehicles
4.1. Cabins, seats or drag devices
4.2. Suspension gear
4.3. Driving gear
4.4. Connections to the cable
5. Electrotechnical devices
5.1. Monitoring, control and safety devices
5.2. Communication and information equipment
5.3. Lightning protection equipment
6. Rescue equipment
6.1. Fixed rescue equipment
6.2. Mobile rescue equipment
ANNEX II
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Purpose
This Annex sets out the essential requirements, including maintainability and
operability, applicable to the design, construction and entry into service of
installations referred to in Article 1(5) of this Directive.
2. General requirements
2.1. Safety of persons
The safety of users, workers and third parties is a fundamental requirement for
the design, construction and operation of installations.
2.2. Principles of safety
All installations must be designed, operated and serviced in accordance with the
following principles, which are to be applied in the order given:
- eliminate or, if that is not possible, reduce risks by means of design and
construction features,
- define and implement all necessary measures to protect against risks which
cannot be eliminated by the design and construction features,
- define and state the precautions which should be taken to avoid the risks
which it has not been possible to eliminate completely by means of the
provisions and measures referred to in the first and second indents.
2.3. Consideration of external factors
Installations must be so designed and constructed as to make it possible to
operate them safely, taking into account the type of installation, the nature
and physical features of the terrain on which it is installed, its surroundings
and atmospheric and meteorological factors, as well as possible structures and
obstacles located in the vicinity either on the ground or in the air.
2.4. Dimensions
The installation, the subsystems and all its safety components must be
dimensioned, designed and constructed to withstand, with a sufficient degree of
safety, all stresses encountered under all foreseeable conditions, including
those which occur when not in operation, and taking account in particular of
outside influences, dynamic effects and fatigue phenomena, while complying with
the acknowledged rules of the art, in particular with regard to the choice of
materials.
2.5. Assembly
2.5.1. The installation, the subsystems and all the safety components must be
designed and constructed in such a way as to ensure that they can be safely
assembled and put into place.
2.5.2. The safety components must be so designed as to make assembly mistakes
impossible, either as a result of construction or by means of appropriate
markings on the components themselves.
2.6. Integrity of the installation
2.6.1. The safety components must be designed and constructed and be usable in
such a way as to ensure that, in every case, their own operational integrity
and/or the safety of the installation is ensured, as defined in the safety
analysis in Annex III, so that their failure is highly improbable and with an
adequate safety margin.
2.6.2. The installation must be designed and constructed in such a way as to
ensure that, during its operation, any failure of a component which might affect
safety, even indirectly, is met by an appropriate measure being taken in good
time.
2.6.3. The safeguards referred to in points 2.6.1 and 2.6.2 must apply
throughout the period between two scheduled inspections of the component
concerned. The time period for the scheduled inspection of the safety components
must be clearly indicated in the instruction manual.
2.6.4. Safety components which are incorporated into installations as spare
parts must satisfy the essential requirements of this Directive and the
conditions relating to the smooth interaction with the other parts of the
installations.
2.6.5. Measures must be taken to to ensure that the effects of a fire in the
installation do not endanger the safety of persons being transported and
workers.
2.6.6. Special measures must be taken to protect installations and persons from
the effects of lightning.
2.7. Safety devices
2.7.1. Any defect in the installation which could result in a failure
endangering safety must, where practicable, be detected, reported and processed
by a safety device. The same applies to any normally foreseeable external event
which may endanger safety.
2.7.2. It must be possible at all times to shut down the installation manually.
2.7.3. After the installation has been shut down by a safety device, it must not
be possible to restart it unless appropriate action has been taken.
2.8. Maintainability
The installation must be designed and constructed so as to enable routine or
special maintenance and repair operations and procedures to be carried out
safely.
2.9. Nuisance
The installation must be designed and constructed in such a way as to ensure
that any internal or external nuisance resulting from noxious gases, noise
emissions or vibrations falls within the prescribed limits.
3. Infrastructure requirements
3.1. Layout, speed, distance between vehicles
3.1.1. The installation must be designed to operate safely taking into account
the characteristics of the terrain and its surroundings, atmospheric and
meteorological conditions, any possible structures and obstacles located in the
vicinity either on the ground or in the air in such a way as to cause no
nuisance or pose no danger under any operational or servicing conditions or in
the event of an operation to rescue persons.
3.1.2. Sufficient distance must be maintained laterally and vertically between
vehicles, towing devices, tracks, cables, etc., and possible structures and
obstacles located in the vicinity either on the ground or in the air, taking
account of the vertical, longitudinal and lateral movement of the cables and
vehicles or of the towing devices under the most adverse foreseeable operating
conditions.
3.1.3. The maximum distance between vehicles and ground must take account of the
nature of the installation, the type of vehicles and the rescue procedures. In
the case of open cars it must also take account of the risk of fall as well as
the psychological aspects associated with the distance between vehicles and
ground.
3.1.4. The maximum speed of the vehicles or towing devices, the minimum distance
between them and their acceleration and braking performance must be chosen to
ensure the safety of persons and the safe operation of the installation.
3.2. Stations and structures along the line
3.2.1. Stations and structures along the line must be designed, installed and
equipped so as to ensure stability. They shall permit safe guidance of the
cables, vehicles and the towing devices, and enable maintenance to be safely
carried out, under all operating conditions.
3.2.2. The entry and exit areas of the installation must be designed so as to
guarantee the safety of the traffic of vehicles, towing devices and persons. The
movement of vehicles and towing devices in the stations must be capable of
taking place without risk to persons, taking into account their possible active
collaboration to their movement.
4. Requirements relating to cables, drives and brakes and to mechanical and
electrical installations
4.1. Cables and their supports
4.1.1. All measures must be taken in line with the latest technological
developments:
- to avoid cables or their attachments breaking,
- to cover their minimum and maximum stress values,
- to ensure that they are safely mounted on their supports and prevent
derailment,
- to enable them to be monitored.
4.1.2. It is not possible to prevent all risk of cable derailment, measures must
be taken to ensure that cables can be retrieved and the installations shut down
without risk to persons in the event of derailment.
4.2. Mechanical installations
4.2.1. Drives
The drive system of an installation must be of a suitable performance and
capability, adapted to the various operating systems and modes.
4.2.2. Standby drive
The installation must have a standby drive with an energy supply which is
independent of that of the main drive system. A standby drive is not, however,
necessary if the safety analysis shows that people can leave the vehicles and,
in particular, towing devices easily, quickly and safely even if a standby drive
is not available.
4.2.3. Braking
4.2.3.1. In an emergency, it must be possible to shut down the installation
and/or the vehicles at any moment, under the most unfavourable conditions in
terms of authorised load and pulley adhesion during operation. The stopping
distance must be as short as the security of the installation dictates.
4.2.3.2. Deceleration values must be within adequate limits fixed in such a way
to ensure both the safety of the persons and the satisfactory behaviour of the
vehicles, cables and other parts of the installation.
4.2.3.3. In all installations there must be two or more braking systems, each
capable of bringing the installation to a halt, and coordinated in such a way
that they automatically replace the active system when its efficiency becomes
inadequate. The traction cable's last braking system must act directly on the
driving pulley. These provisions do not apply to drag lifts.
4.2.3.4. The installation must be fitted with an effective clamp and locking
mechanism to guard against premature restarts.
4.3. Control devices
The control devices must be designed and constructed so as to be safe and
reliable, to withstand normal operating stresses and external factors such as
humidity, extreme temperatures or electromagnetic interference and so as not to
cause dangerous situations, even in the event of operational error.
4.4. Communication devices
Suitable facilities must be provided to enable operational staff to communicate
with one another at all times and to inform users in case of emergency.
5. Vehicles and towing devices
5.1. Vehicles and/or towing devices must be designed and fitted out in such a
way that under foreseeable operating conditions no person can fall out or
encounter any other risks.
5.2. The fittings of vehicles and towing devices must be dimensioned and
constructed so as not to:
- damage the cable, or
- slip, except where slippage does not significantly affect the safety of the
vehicle, the towing device or the installation
under the most unfavourable conditions.
5.3. Vehicle doors (on cars, cabins) must be designed and constructed in such a
way as to make it possible to close and lock them. The vehicle floor and walls
must be designed and constructed so as to withstand pressure and loads exerted
by users under any circumstances.
5.4. If for reasons of operational safety an operator is required on board the
vehicle, the vehicle must be fitted with the equipment required for him to carry
out his tasks.
5.5. Vehicles and/or towing devices and, in particular, their suspension
mechanisms must be designed and fitted so as to ensure the safety of workers
servicing them in accordance with appropriate rules and instructions.
5.6. In the case of vehicles equipped with disconnectable fittings, all measures
must be taken to bring to a halt, without risk to users, at the moment of
departure, any vehicle whose fitting has been incorrectly connected to the cable
and, at the moment of arrival, any vehicle whose fitting has not been
disconnected, and to prevent the vehicle from falling.
5.7. Funicular vehicles and, in so far as the configuration of the installation
so permits, bi-cable cable cars must be equipped with an automatic braking
device on the track, when the possibility of carrier cable breaking cannot
reasonably be excluded.
5.8. Where all risk of derailment of the vehicle cannot be eliminated by other
measures, the vehicle must be fitted with an anti-derailment device which
enables the vehicle to be brought to a halt without risk to persons.
6. Equipment for users
The access to embarkation areas and exit from disembarkation areas and the
embarkation and disembarkation of users must be organised with regard to the
movement and stopping of vehicles in such a way as to ensure the safety of
persons, in particular in areas where there is a risk of falling.
It must be possible for children and persons with reduced mobility to use the
installation safely if the installation is designed for the transport of such
persons.
7. Operability
7.1. Safety
7.1.1. All technical provisions and measures must be taken to ensure that the
installation is used for its intended purpose according to its technical
specification and to the specified operating conditions and that the
instructions on safe operation and maintenance can be complied with. The
instruction manual and the corresponding notes shall be drawn up in an official
language or languages of the Community which may be determined in accordance
with the Treaty by the Member State in the territory of which the installation
is constructed.
7.1.2. The persons responsible for operating the installation must be provided
with the appropriate material resources and must be qualified to carry out the
task in hand.
7.2. Safety in the event of immobilisation of the installation
All technical provisions and measures must be adopted to ensure that users can
be brought to safety within a set time appropriate to the type of installation
and its surroundings when the installation is immobilised and cannot be
restarted quickly.
7.3. Other special provisions concerning safety
7.3.1. Operators' stands and workplaces
Movable parts which are normally accessible in the stations must be designed,
constructed and installed in such a way as to preclude any risks or, where such
risks exist, be fitted with protective devices so as to prevent any contact with
parts of the installation which may cause accidents. These devices must be of a
type that cannot easily be removed or rendered inoperative.
7.3.2. Risk of falling
Workplaces and working areas, including those used only occasionally, and the
access to them, must be designed and constructed in such a way as to prevent
persons required to work or move in them from falling. Should the construction
not be adequate, they must also be provided with anchorage points for personal
protective equipment to prevent falls.
ANNEX III
SAFETY ANALYSIS
The safety analysis required for every cableway installation referred to in
Article 1(5) of this Directive must take into account every mode of operation
envisaged. The analysis must follow a recognised or established method and take
into account the current state of the art and the complexity of the installation
in question. The aim is also to ensure that the design and configuration of the
installation should take account of the local surroundings and the most adverse
situations in order to ensure satisfactory safety conditions.
The analysis must also cover the safety devices and their effect on the
installation and related subsystems that they bring into action so that either:
- they are capable of reacting to an initial breakdown or failure detected so as
to remain either in a state that guarantees safety, in a lower operating mode or
in a fail-safe state,
- they are redundant and are monitored, or
- they are such that the probability of their failure can be evaluated and they
are of a standard equivalent to that achieved by safety devices that meet the
criteria in the first and second indents.
Safety analysis must be used to draw up the inventory of risks and dangerous
situations in accordance with Article 4(1) of this Directive and to determine
the list of safety components referred to in Article 4(2) thereof. The result of
the safety analysis must be summarised in a safety report.
ANNEX IV
SAFETY COMPONENTS: EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
This Annex applies to the safety components referred to in Article 1(5) of this
Directive with a view to establishing their compliance with the essential
requirements which concern them referred to in Article 3(1) of the Directive and
defined in Annex II.
The EC declaration of conformity and the accompanying documentation must be
dated and signed. It must be drawn up in the same language or languages as the
instruction manual referred to in point 7.1.1 of Annex II.
The declaration must state the following particulars:
- the references of this Directive,
- name, business name and full address of the manufacturer or his authorised
representative established in the Community. An authorised representative must
also give the name, business name and full address of the manufacturer,
- description of the component (make, type, etc.),
- details of the conformity declaration procedure used (Article 7 of this
Directive),
- all relevant provisions with which the component must comply and, in
particular, the conditions of use,
- the name and address of any body notified, involved in the conformity
procedure and the date of the EC examination certificate with details, where
appropriate, of the duration and conditions of validity of the certificate,
- where appropriate, the reference of the harmonised standards applicable,
- identification of the person empowered to sign on behalf of the manufacturer
or his authorised representative established in the Community.
ANNEX V
SAFETY COMPONENTS: ASSESSMENT OF CONFORMITY
1. Scope
This Annex applies to safety components with a view to checking compliance with
the essential requirements referred to in Article 3(1) of this Directive and
defined in Annex II. It concerns the assessment by one or more notified bodies
of the intrinsic conformity of a component, considered in isolation, with the
prescribed technical specifications.
2. Procedures
The assessment procedures implemented by the notified bodies both at the design
and production stage are based on the modules defined in Council Decision
93/465/EEC along the lines indicated in the following table. The solutions in
this table are considered to be equivalent and can be used at the manufacturer's
discretion.
ASSESSMENT OF THE CONFORMITY OF SAFETY COMPONENTS
>TABLE POSITION>
Modules must be applied taking into account the specific supplementary
conditions in each module.
MODULE B: EC TYPE-EXAMINATION
1. This module describes that part of the procedure by which a notified body
ascertains and attests that a specimen, representative of the production
envisaged, meets the provisions of this Directive.
2. The application for EC type-examination must be lodged by the manufacturer or
by his authorised representative established within the Community with a
notified body of his choice.
The application must include:
- the name and address of the manufacturer and, if the application is lodged by
the authorised representative, his name and address as well,
- a written declaration that the same application has not been lodged with any
other notified body,
- the technical documentation, as described in point 3.
The applicant must place at the disposal of the nofitied body a specimen,
representative of the production envisaged and hereinafter called
"type". The notified body may request further specimens if needed for
carrying out the test programme.
3. The technical documentation must enable the conformity of the component with
the requirements of this Directive to be assessed. It must, as far as is
relevant for such assessment, cover the design, manufacture and operation of the
component.
The documentation must contain as far as is relevant to assessment:
- a general type-description,
- conceptual design and manufacturing drawings and schemes of components,
subassemblies, circuits, etc.,
- descriptions and explanations necessary for the understanding of the said
drawings and schemes and the operation of the product,
- the list of the European specifications referred to in Article 2(2) of this
Directive, applied in full or in part, and descriptions of the solutions adopted
to meet the essential requirements where the European specifications referred to
in Article 2(2) of this Directive do not exist,
- the results of design calculations made, examinations carried out, etc.,
- test reports.
It must also indicate the field of use of the component.
4. The notified body:
4.1. must examine the technical documentation, verify that the type has been
manufactured in conformity with the technical documentation and identify the
components which have been designed in accordance with the relevant provisions
of the European specifications referred to in Article 2(2) of this Directive as
well as those which have been designed without applying the relevant provisions
of those European specifications;
4.2. must perform or have performed the appropriate examinations and necessary
tests to check whether, where the European specifications referred to in Article
2(2) of this Directive have not been applied, the solutions adopted by the
manufacturer meet the essential requirements of this Directive;
4.3. must perform or have performed the appropriate examinations and necessary
tests to check whether, where the manufacturer has chosen to apply the relevant
European specifications, these have actually been applied;
4.4. must agree with the applicant the location where the examinations and
necessary tests are to be carried out.
5. Where the type meets the provisions of this Directive, the notified body must
issue an EC type-examination certificate to the applicant. The certificate must
state the name and address of the manufacturer, the conclusions of the
examination, the conditions for its validity, the duration thereof and give the
necessary data for identification of the approved type.
A list of the relevant parts of the technical documentation must be annexed to
the certificate and a copy kept by the notified body. If the notified body
refuses to issue an EC-type certificate to the manufacturer, the former must
provide detailed reasons for such refusal. Provision must be made for an appeals
procedure.
6. The applicant must inform the notified body that holds the technical
documentation concerning the EC type-examination certificate of all
modifications of the approved component which must receive additional approval
where such changes may affect the conformity of the component with the essential
requirements for the prescribed conditions for its use. This additional approval
is given in the form of an addition to the original EC type-examination
certificate.
7. Each notified body must communicate to the other notified bodies the relevant
information concerning the EC type-examination certificates and additions issued
and withdrawn.
8. The other notified bodies may receive copies of the EC type-examination
certificates and/or their additions. The Annexes to the certificates must be
kept at the disposal of the other notified bodies.
9. The manufacturer or his authorised representative must keep with the
technical documentation copies of EC type-examination certificates and their
additions for at least 30 years after the last component has been manufactured.
Where neither the manufacturer nor his authorised representative is established
within the Community, the obligation to keep the technical documentation
available is the responsibility of the person who places the component on the
Community market.
MODULE D: PRODUCTION QUALITY ASSURANCE
1. This module describes the procedure whereby the manufacturer who satisfies
the obligations of point 2 ensures and declares that the components concerned
are in conformity with the type as described in the EC type-examination
certificate and satisfy the requirements of this Directive. The manufacturer or
his authorised representative established within the Community must affix the CE
marking to each component and must draw up a written declaration of conformity.
The CE marking must be accompanied by the identification symbol of the notified
body responsible for monitoring as specified in point 4.
2. The manufacturer must operate an approved quality system for production,
final component inspection and testing as specified in point 3, and is subject
to monitoring as specified in section 4.
3. Quality system
3.1. The manufacturer must lodge an application for assessment of his quality
system with a notified body or his choice, for the components concerned.
The application must include:
- all relevant information for the component category envisaged,
- the documentation concerning the quality system,
- if applicable, the technical documentation of the approved type and a copy of
the EC type-examination certificate.
3.2. The quality system must ensure compliance with the type as described in the
EC type-examination certificate and with the requirements of this Directive.
All the elements, requirements and provisions adopted by the manufacturer must
be documented in a systematic and orderly manner in the form of written
policies, procedures and instructions. The quality system documentation must
permit a consistent interpretation of the quality programmes, plans, manuals and
records.
It must in particular contain an adequate description of:
- the quality objectives and the organisational structure, responsibilities and
powers of the management with regard to competent quality,
- the manufacturing, quality control and quality assurance techniques, processes
and systematic actions that will be used,
- the examinations and tests that will be carried out before, during and after
manufacture, and the frequency with which they will be carried out,
- the quality records, such as inspection reports and test data, calibration
data, qualification reports of the personnel concerned, etc.,
- the means to monitor the achievement of the required component quality and the
effective operation of the quality system.
3.3. The notified body must assess the quality system to determine whether it
satisfies the requirements referred to in point 3.2. It presumes conformity with
these requirements in respect of quality systems that implement the relevant
harmonised standards.
The auditing team must have a least one member with experience of evaluating in
the component technology concerned. The evaluation procedure must include an
inspection visit to the manufacturer's premises.
The decision must be notified to the manufacturer. The notification must contain
the conclusions of the examination and the reasoned assessment decision.
3.4. The manufacturer must undertake to discharge the obligations arising from
the quality system as approved and to maintain it in an appropriate and
efficient manner at a proper and efficient level.
The manufacturer or his authorised representative must keep the notified body
that has approved the quality system informed of any intended updating of the
quality system.
The notified body must evaluate the modifications proposed and decide whether
the modified quality system will still satisfy the requirements referred to in
paragraph 3.2 or whether a reassessment is required.
It must notify its decision to the manufacturer. The notification must contain
the conclusions of the examination and the reasoned assessment decision.
4. Surveillance under the responsibility of the notified body
4.1. The purpose of surveillance is to make sure that the manufacturer duly
fulfils the obligations arising out of the approved quality system.
4.2. The manufacturer must allow the notified body entrance for inspection
purposes to the places of manufacture, inspection and testing, and storage, and
must provide it with all necessary information, in particular:
- the quality system documentation,
- the quality records, such as inspection reports and test data, calibration
data, qualification reports of the personnel concerned, etc.
4.3. The notified body must periodically carry out audits to make sure that the
manufacturer maintains and applies the quality system and must provide an audit
report to the manufacturer.
4.4. Additionally the notified body may pay unexpected visits to the
manufacturer. During such visits the notified body may carry out or cause to be
carried out, tests to verify that the quality system is functioning correctly,
if necessary. The notified body must provide the manufacturer with a visit
report and, if a test has taken place, a test report.
5. The manufacturer must, for period ending at least 30 years after the last
component has been manufactured, keep at the disposal of the national
authorities:
- the documentation referred to in the second indent of the second subparagraph
of point 3.1,
- the updating referred to in the second paragraph of point 3.4,
- the decisions and reports from the notified body which are referred to in
points 3.4, 4.3 and 4.4.
6. Each notified body must give the other notified bodies the relevant
information concerning all quality system approvals issued and withdrawn.
MODULE F: PRODUCT VERIFICATION
1. This module describes the procedure whereby a manufacturer or his authorised
representative established within the Community checks and attests that the
components subject to the provisions of point 3 are in conformity with the type
described in the EC type-examination certificate and satisfy the requirements of
this Directive.
2. The manufacturer must take all measures necessary in order that the
manufacturing process ensures conformity of the components with the type as
described in the EC type-examination certificate and with the requirements of
this Directive. He shall affix the CE marking to each component and shall draw
up a declaration of conformity.
3. The notified body must carry out the appropriate examinations and tests in
order to check the conformity of the components to the requirements of this
Directive either by examination and testing of every component as specified in
point 4 or by examination and testing of components on a statistical basis, as
specified in point 5, at the choice of the manufacturer.
The manufacturer or his authorised representative resident within the Community
must keep a copy of the declaration of conformity for a period ending at least
30 years after the last component has been manufactured.
4. Verification by examination and testing of every component
4.1. All components must be individually examined and appropriate tests as set
out in the relevant European specification(s) referred to in Article 2 or
equivalent tests shall be carried out in order to verify their conformity with
the type described in the EC type-examination certificate and to the
requirements of this Directive.
4.2. The notified body must affix or cause to be affixed, its identification
symbol to each approved component and draw up a written certificate of
conformity relating to the tests carried out.
4.3. The manufacturer or his authorised representative must ensure that he is
able to supply the notified body's certificates of conformity on request.
5. Statistical verification
5.1. The manufacturer must present his components in the form of homogeneous
lots and shall take all measures necessary in order that the manufacturing
process ensures the homogeneity of each lot produced.
5.2. All components must be available for verification in the form of
homogeneous lots. A random sample must be drawn from each lot. Components in a
sample must be individually examined and appropriate tests as set out in the
European specification(s) referred to in Article 2(2) of this Directive, or
equivalent tests, shall be carried out to ensure their conformity with the
requirements of this Directive and to determine whether the lot is accepted or
rejected.
5.3. The statistical procedure must use the following elements:
- a statistical method,
- a sampling plan with its operational characteristics.
5.4. In the case of accepted lots, the notified body must affix, or cause to be
affixed, its identification number to each component, and shall draw up a
written certificate of conformity relating to the tests carried out. All
components in the lot may be put on the market, except those components from the
sample which were found not to be in conformity.
If a lot is rejected, the notified body or the competent authority must take
appropriate measures to prevent the putting on the market of that lot. In the
event of the frequent rejection of lots the notified body may suspend
statistical verification.
The manufacturer may, under the responsibility of the notified body, affix the
latter's identification number during the manufacturing process.
5.5. The manufacturer or his authorised representative must ensure that he is
able to supply the notified body's certificates of conformity on request.
MODULE G: UNIT VERIFICATION
1. This module describes the procedure whereby the manufacturer ensures and
declares that the component concerned, which has been issued with the
certificate referred to in point 2, conforms to the requirements of this
Directive that apply to it. The manufacturer or his authorised representative
established within the Community must affix the CE marking to the component and
must draw up a declaration of conformity.
2. The notified body must examine the component and must carry out the
appropriate tests as set out in the relevant European specifications referred to
in Article 2(2) of this Directive, or equivalent tests, to ensure its conformity
with the relevant requirements of this Directive.
The notified body must affix, or cause to be affixed, its identification number
on the approved component and shall draw up a certificate of conformity
concerning the tests carried out.
3. The aim of the technical documentation is to enable conformity with the
requirements of this Directive to be assessed and the design, manufacture and
operation of the component to be understood.
For the purposes of assessment, the documentation must include the following:
- a general description of the type,
- conceptual design and manufacturing drawings and schemes of components,
sub-assemblies, circuits, etc.,
- descriptions and explanations necessary for the understanding of said drawings
and schemes and the operation of the component,
- a list of the relevant European specifications applied in total or partially
referred to in Article 2(2) of this Directive, as well as a description of the
solutions adopted by the manufacturer to meet the essential requirements of the
Directive, where the European specifications referred to in Article 2(2) have
not been applied,
- the results of the design calculations made, examinations carried out, etc.,
- test reports,
- fields of use of components.
MODULE H: FULL QUALITY ASSURANCE
1. This module describes the procedure whereby a manufacturer who satisfies the
obligations of paragraph 2 must ensure and declare that the components concerned
satisfy the relevant requirements of this Directive. The manufacturer or his
authorised representative established within the Community must affix the CE
marking to the component and must draw up a written declaration of conformity.
The CE marking must be accompanied by the identification symbol of the notified
body responsible for the surveillance as specified in point 4.
2. The manufacturer must operate an approved quality system for design,
manufacture and final component inspection and testing as specified in point 3
and shall be subject to surveillance as specified in point 4.
3. Quality system
3.1. The manufacturer must lodge an application for assessment of his quality
system with a notified body.
The application must include:
- all relevant information for the category of component envisaged,
- the documentation relating to the quality system.
3.2. The quality system must ensure compliance of the components with the
relevant requirements of this Directive.
All the elements, requirements and provisions adopted by the manufacturer must
be documented in a systematic and orderly manner in the form of written
policies, procedures and instructions. This quality system documentation shall
ensure a common understanding of the quality policies and procedures such as
quality programmes, plans, manuals and records.
It must in particular include an adequate description of:
- the quality objectives and the organisational structure, responsibilities and
powers of the management with regard to design and component quality,
- the technical design specifications, including the European specifications
referred to in Article 2(2) of this Directive, that will be applied and, where
the European specifications will not be applied in full, the means that will be
used to ensure that the essential requirements of this Directive that apply to
the products will be met,
- the design control and design verification techniques, processes and
systematic actions that will be used when designing the components pertaining to
the category of components covered,
- the corresponding manufacturing, quality control and quality assurance
techniques, processes and systematic actions that will be used,
- the examinations and tests that will be carried out before, during and after
manufacture, and the frequency with which they will be carried out,
- the quality records, such as inspection reports and test data, calibration
data, qualification reports of the personnel concerned, etc.,
- the means to monitor the achievement of the required design and component
quality and the effective operation of the quality assurance system.
3.3. The notified body must assess the quality system to determine whether it
satisfies the requirements referred to in point 3.2. It shall presume compliance
with these requirements in respect of quality systems that implement the
relevant harmonised standard.
The auditing team must have at least one member experienced as an assessor in
the product technology concerned. The evaluation procedure shall include an
assessment visit to the manufacturer's premises.
The decision must be notified to the manufacturer. The notification must contain
the conclusions of the examination and the reasoned assessment decision.
3.4. The manufacturer must undertake to fulfil the obligations arising from the
quality system as approved and to uphold it so that it remains adequate and
efficient.
The manufacturer or his authorised representative must keep the notified body
that has approved the quality system informed of any intended updating of the
quality system.
The notified body must evaluate the modifications proposed and decide whether
the amended quality system will still satisfy the requirements referred to in
paragraph 3.2 or whether a reassessment is required.
It must notify its decision to the manufacturer. The notification shall contain
the conclusions of the examination and the reasoned assessment decision.
4. Surveillance under the responsibility of the notified body
4.1. The purpose of surveillance is to make sure that the manufacturer duly
fulfils the obligations arising out of the approved quality system.
4.2. The manufacturer must allow the notified body entrance for inspection
purposes to the places of design, manufacture, inspection and testing, and
storage, and shall provide it with all necessary information, in particular:
- the quality system documentation,
- the quality records as provided for by the design part of the quality system,
such as results of analyses, calculations, tests, etc.,
- the quality records as provided for by the manufacturing part of the quality
system, such as inspection reports and test data, calibration data,
qualification reports of the personnel concerned, etc.
4.3. The notified body must periodically carry out audits to make sure that the
manufacturer maintains and applies the quality system and shall provide an audit
report to the manufacturer.
4.4. Additionally, the notified body may pay unexpected visits to the
manufacturer. At the time of such visits, the notified body may carry out tests
or have them carried out in order to check the proper functioning of the quality
system where necessary; it must provide the manufacturer with a visit report
and, if a test has been carried out, with a test report.
5. The manufacturer must, for a period ending at least 30 years after the last
component has been manufactured, keep at the disposal of the national
authorities:
- the documentation referred to in the second indent of the second subparagraph
of point 3.1,
- the updating referred to in the second subparagraph of point 3.4,
- the decisions and reports form the notified body which are referred to in
points 3.4, 4.3 and 4.4.
6. Each notified body must forward to the other notified bodies the relevant
information concerning the quality system approvals issued and withdrawn.
7. Supplementary requirements; design examination
7.1. The manufacturer must lodge an application for examination of the design
with a single notified body.
7.2. The application must enable the design, manufacture and operation of the
component to be understood, and shall enable conformity with the requirements of
this Directive to be assessed.
It must include:
- the technical design specifications, including the European specifications
referred to in Article 2(2) of this Directive that have been applied,
- the necessary supporting evidence for their adequacy, in particular where the
European specifications referred to in Article 2(2) of this Directive have not
been applied in full. This supporting evidence must include the results of tests
carried out by the appropriate laboratory of the manufacturer or on his behalf.
7.3. The notified body must examine the application and where the design meets
the provisions of this Directive, must issue an EC design examination
certificate to the applicant. The certificate shall contain the conclusions of
the examination, conditions for its validity, the necessary data for
identification of the approved design and, if relevant, a description of the
component's functioning.
7.4. The applicant must keep the notified body that issued the EC design
examination certificate informed of any modification to the approved design.
Modifications to the approved design must receive additional approval from the
notified body that issued the EC design examination certificate where such
changes may affect conformity to the essential requirements referred to in
Article 3(1) of this Directive or the prescribed conditions for use of the
component. This additional approval is given in the form of an addition to the
original EC design examination certificate.
7.5. The notified bodies must forward to the other notified bodies the relevant
information concerning:
- the EC design examination certificates and additions issued,
- the EC design approvals and additional approvals withdrawn,
- the EC design examination certificates and additions refused.
ANNEX VI
SUBSYSTEMS: EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
This Annex applies to the subsystems referred to in Article 9 of this Directive
in order to ensure that they fulfil the essential requirements concerning them
referred to in Article 3(1) of this Directive.
The EC declaration of conformity must be drawn up by the manufacturer, or his
authorised representative established in the Community, or, where such a person
is not available, any natural or legal person, who places the subsystem on the
market; the declaration and the accompanying technical documentation must be
dated and signed.
This EC declaration of conformity and the technical documentation must be drawn
up in the same language or languages as the instruction manual, referred to in
point 7.1.1 of Annex II and must contain the following information:
- the reference of this Directive,
- the name and address of the person who ordered EC examination,
- a description of the subsystem,
- the name and address of the notified body which carried out the EC
examination, referred to in Article 11 of this Directive,
- all relevant provisions with which the subsystem must comply, in particular
any operating restrictions or operating conditions,
- the outcome of EC examination referred to in Annex VII (EC conformity
certificate),
- particulars of the person who is authorised to sign a legally binding
declaration for the manufacturer, or his authorised representative or, where
such a person is not available, the natural or legal person, who places the
subsystem on the market.
ANNEX VII
SUBSYSTEMS: ASSESSMENT OF CONFORMITY
1. EC examination is the procedure whereby, at the request of the manufacturer
or his authorised representative established in the Community or, where such a
person is not available, any natural or legal person who assumes responsibility
for placing the subsystem on the market, a notified body checks and attests that
a subsystem is:
- in conformity with the provisions of the Directive and other relevant
provisions in compliance with the Treaty,
- in conformity with the technical documentation, and
- completed
2. The examination of the subsystem is carried out at each of the following
stages:
- design,
- construction and acceptance trials once the subsystem has been completed.
3. The technical documentation accompanying the examination certificate must
comprise the following:
- construction plans and calculations, electrical and hydraulic diagrams,
control circuit diagrams, description of computer and automatic systems,
operating and servicing instructions, etc.,
- a list of the safety components referred to in Article 4(2) of this Directive
which are used in the subsystem,
- copies of the EC declaration of conformity as provided for in Annex IV for
these safety components together with the corresponding construction plans and a
copy of the reports on any other tests and trials carried out.
4. Documentation and correspondence in connection with EC examination procedures
must be drawn up in the same language or languages as the instruction manual
referred to in point 7.1.1 of Annex II.
5. Surveillance
5.1. It shall be ensured by means of surveillance that during construction of
the subsystem the obligations arising from the technical documentation are
fulfilled.
5.2. The notified body responsible for EC examination must have permanent access
to the production shops, storage areas and, where necessary, to prefabrication
areas, testing plants and more generally to any locations it feels it needs to
visit in order to perform its task. The manufacturer or his authorised
representative or, where such a person is not available, the natural or legal
person who places the subsystem on the market must provide it with, or arrange
for it to be provided with, any documents required to that end, notably the
plans and technical documentation relating to the subsystem.
5.3. The notified body responsible for EC examination must periodically carry
out audits to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Directive. On each
visit it must provide the site supervisor responsible with an audit report. It
may ask to be brought in to inspect various stages of the work.
5.4. In addition, the notified body may pay unexpected visits to the production
shops. During such visits it may carry out full or partial audits. The notified
body must draw up a report on the visit and, where necessary, submit an audit
report to the site supervisor responsible.
6. Each notified body must publish periodically the relevant information
concerning:
- all applications for EC examination received,
- all EC examination certificates issued,
- all EC examination certificates refused.
ANNEX VIII
MINIMUM CRITERIA TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT BY MEMBER STATES FOR THE NOTIFICATION
OF BODIES
1. The notified body, its director and the staff responsible for carrying out
the verification operations may not be either the designer, manufacturer,
supplier or installer of the safety components or subsystems which they inspect
or the authorised representative of any of those parties or the natural or legal
person, who places these safety components or subsystems on the market. They may
not become involved, either directly or as authorised representatives, in the
design, manufacture, construction, marketing, servicing or operation of these
safety components or subsystems. This does not preclude the possibility of
exchanges of technical information between the manufacturer and the notified
body.
2. The notified body and its inspection staff must carry out the verification
operations with the highest degree of professional integrity and technical
competence and must be free from all pressures and inducements, particularly
financial, which might influence their judgement or the results of the
inspection, especially from persons or groups of persons with an interest in the
result of the verifications.
3. The notified body must have at its disposal the necessary staff and possess
the necessary facilities to enable it to perform properly the administrative and
technical tasks connected with the verification operations; it must also have
access to the equipment required for special verification.
4. The staff responsible for inspection must have:
- sound technical and professional training,
- satisfactory knowledge of the requirements of the tests they carry out and
adequate experience of such tests,
- the ability required to draw up the certificates, records and reports required
to authenticate the performance of the tests.
5. The impartiality of inspection staff must be guaranteed. Their remuneration
must not depend on the number of tests carried out or on the results of such
tests.
6. The notified body must take out civil liability insurance unless its
liability is assumed by the State in accordance with national law or the Member
State itself is directly responsible for the inspections.
7. The staff of the body must be bound by professional secrecy (except vis-à-vis
the competent administrative authorities of the State in which its activities
are carried out) with regard to all information it acquires in carrying out its
tasks under this Directive or any provision of national law giving effect to it.
ANNEX IX
CE CONFORMITY MARKING
The CE conformity marking shall consist of the letters "CE" taking the
following form:
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If the CE marking is reduced or enlarged, the proportions given in the above
drawing must be respected.
The various components of the CE marking must have substantially the same
vertical dimension, which may not be less than 5 mm. This minimum dimension may
be waived for small-scale safety components.
The CE marking shall be followed by the last two figures of the year in which it
was affixed and by the identification number of the notified body that deals
with the procedures referred to in Article 7(3) of this Directive.