Outdoor Equipment Noise Directive 2000/14/EC

Last reviewed: May 2026 · Legal status verified against EUR-Lex.

Directive 2000/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 May 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors — the "Outdoor Noise Directive" — has applied since 3 January 2002 (with various staged provisions taking effect 2002–2006). It sets noise emission limits and/or mandatory noise labelling for 57 categories of outdoor equipment listed in Annex I. The Directive applies in parallel to other harmonisation legislation (the Machinery Regulation, the Low Voltage Directive, the EMC Directive). It is one of the older instruments in the CE marking framework and is being progressively reviewed. Published as OJ L 162, 3.7.2000, p. 1.

Legal status and timeline

• Adoption: 8 May 2000.
• Entry into force: 3 July 2000.
• Date of application: 3 January 2002 (with sub-categories applying at later dates).
• Stage I noise limit values: applied from 3 January 2002.
• Stage II noise limit values: applied from 3 January 2006.
• Status in May 2026: applies. The Commission published a Fitness Check in 2017 and has indicated revision is under consideration, with no replacement act yet adopted.

Scope: products covered

Article 1 applies to equipment listed in Annex I. The 57 categories include: construction equipment (compactors, bulldozers, excavators, loaders, dump trucks, tower cranes, compressors); landscaping and garden equipment (lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, leaf blowers, chainsaws, brush cutters); pressure equipment used outdoors (water pumps); generators; concrete and mortar mixers; and various other outdoor power-driven equipment.

Annex I distinguishes:

• Equipment subject to noise limit values (Article 12) — 22 categories with binding limits in Annex III (Stage I and Stage II); and
• Equipment subject only to noise marking (Article 13) — categories not subject to limits but required to bear a noise label indicating the guaranteed sound power level.

Essential requirements

For equipment subject to noise limit values, the guaranteed sound power level must not exceed the limit value in Annex III. For all equipment in Annex I, the manufacturer must determine and indicate the guaranteed sound power level (LWA) in dB(A) re 1 pW.

Conformity assessment procedures

Article 14 and Annexes V–VIII:

• Annex V — Internal control of production — for equipment listed in Annex I but not subject to noise limit values. Manufacturer self-declares.
• Annex VI — Internal control of production with assessment of technical documentation and periodic checking — for equipment subject to noise limit values. The Notified Body assesses the technical documentation and conducts periodic checks.
• Annex VII — Unit verification — for one-off equipment subject to noise limit values.
• Annex VIII — Full quality assurance — Notified Body approval of a quality system.

Technical documentation

The technical file includes design and manufacturing documentation, a description of the methods used to ensure conformity, drawings, measurement methodologies, and copies of the noise label. Retention: 10 years (Article 14a, introduced by Directive 2005/88/EC). See technical documentation.

Marking and labelling

Article 11 and Annex IV require the equipment to bear:

• The CE marking;
• The indication of the guaranteed sound power level (LWA in dB re 1 pW) in the standard format — the figure inside a label of specified design.

The noise label is a specific graphic distinct from the CE mark. It does not include a Notified Body identification number (the Notified Body's involvement is documented in the file, not on the label). See affixing the CE mark.

EU Declaration of Conformity

Article 8 requires an EU Declaration of Conformity. See EU Declaration of Conformity.

Recent and upcoming changes

Directive 2005/88/EC amended Annex III (noise limit values for Stage II) and Annex VI of Directive 2000/14/EC. The Commission's 2017 Fitness Check identified scope simplifications and updated measurement methods as priorities for revision; no replacement act has been adopted as of May 2026. Member State enforcement under the framework of market surveillance has focused on construction equipment imported from outside the EU.

Related legislation

• Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 — applies in parallel to most outdoor equipment that is also machinery.
• Directive 2002/49/EC (Environmental Noise Directive) — addresses ambient noise from sources including outdoor equipment, but operates at the Member State planning level rather than at placing on the market.
• Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU and EMC Directive 2014/30/EU — apply in parallel for electrical equipment.
• Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 on internal combustion engine emissions for non-road mobile machinery — applies in parallel for emissions, not noise.
• Ecodesign Regulation 2024/1781 — applies in parallel for energy-related performance.

Common errors

• Missing noise label. The Annex IV noise label is mandatory in addition to the CE mark.
• Reporting only measured (LWAd) rather than guaranteed (LWA) sound power level. Article 3(g) defines the guaranteed level as the value declared by the manufacturer, including uncertainty.
• Using the noise label in place of the CE mark. Both are required.
• Module A self-declaration for equipment subject to noise limit values. Annex VI (with Notified Body) is required for equipment subject to Annex III limits.

Sources

• Directive 2000/14/EC (Outdoor Noise) — EUR-Lex consolidated text.
• Directive 2005/88/EC (amendment) — EUR-Lex.
• European Commission — Environmental noise (DG ENV).
• Commission Notice — Blue Guide 2022 — EUR-Lex.