Outdoor Equipment Noise Directive 2000/14/EC
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 pre-dates the New Legislative Framework. 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 (Article 22(2)).
- Stage I noise limit values: applied from 3 January 2002.
- Stage II noise limit values: applied from 3 January 2006.
- Status (October 2026): applies. Annex III (measurement methods) was replaced by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1208, applicable from 22 May 2025. Directive (EU) 2024/2839 deleted Article 16, ending the duty to send declarations and noise data to Member States and the Commission from 29 November 2025. Emergency procedures were added by Directive (EU) 2024/2749, applicable from 30 May 2026. The Commission evaluated the Directive in 2020 (SWD(2020) 266). We found no Commission proposal for a replacement, and no replacement act has been adopted.
Scope: products covered
Article 2(1) applies to equipment for use outdoors listed in Articles 12 and 13 and defined in Annex I, placed on the market or put into service as an entire unit suitable for the intended use. Annex I defines 57 numbered types. Non-powered attachments placed on the market separately are excluded, except hand-held concrete-breakers and picks and hydraulic hammers. Article 2(2) excludes equipment primarily intended for transporting goods or persons by road, rail, air or waterway, and equipment specially designed and built for military, police and emergency services.
The Directive distinguishes:
- Equipment subject to noise limit values (Article 12) — 22 entries with limits set in the tables of Article 12 (Stage I and Stage II); and
- Equipment subject only to noise marking (Article 13) — not subject to limits but required to bear the indication of the guaranteed sound power level.
The two lists do not add up to 57 because some Annex I types are split between them by power source or subtype. For example, construction winches and builders' hoists are in Article 12 when combustion-engine driven and in Article 13 with an electric motor, and power generators are in Article 12 below 400 kW and in Article 13 at 400 kW or above.
| Equipment | Article | Conformity route |
|---|---|---|
| Lawnmowers, lawn trimmers, compressors under 350 kW, excavators, dozers, loaders and dumpers under 500 kW, tower cranes, mobile cranes, welding generators, hand-held concrete-breakers | 12 (limits and label) | Annex VI, VII or VIII, all with a Notified Body |
| Chain saws, hedge trimmers, brush cutters, grass trimmers, leaf blowers, leaf collectors, concrete or mortar mixers, refuse collection vehicles, truck mixers | 13 (label only) | Annex V, no Notified Body |
Definitions and exclusions in Article 12 are specific, such as the exclusion of agricultural and forestry equipment from the lawnmower entry, so always check the exact entry.
Essential requirements
For equipment subject to noise limit values, the guaranteed sound power level must not exceed the limit value in Article 12. 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 to VIII. Equipment under Article 12 follows one of Annexes VI, VII or VIII (Article 14(1)); equipment under Article 13 follows Annex V (Article 14(2)):
- Annex V — Internal control of production — for equipment under Article 13. Manufacturer self-declares.
- Annex VI — Internal control of production with assessment of technical documentation and periodic checking. The Notified Body assesses the technical documentation and conducts periodic checks.
- Annex VII — Unit verification.
- 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 from the date on which the equipment was last manufactured (Article 8(3) and Annexes V to VIII). 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: the single-number value in dB, the sign LWA and a pictogram, ideally at least 40 mm high. Article 11 does not call for a Notified Body identification number with it. See affixing the CE mark.
EU Declaration of Conformity
Article 8 and Annex II require an EC declaration of conformity for each type of equipment (the Directive pre-dates the New Legislative Framework and retains the "EC" terminology), and equipment must be accompanied by it (Article 4(1)). Since 29 November 2025 the former Article 16 no longer requires copies to be sent to Member States and the Commission, but the declaration must still accompany the equipment. See EU Declaration of Conformity.
Recent and upcoming changes
Directive 2005/88/EC amended Article 12, making certain Stage II limit values indicative only. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1208 replaced Annex III with updated noise measurement methods, applicable from 22 May 2025; the Commission describes this as supporting new noise limits for outdoor machinery. Directive (EU) 2024/2839 deleted Article 16 and, according to the Commission, the NOISE database is discontinued after 29 November 2025. Directive (EU) 2024/2749 added emergency procedures applicable from 30 May 2026, which operate only in an internal market emergency. No replacement act has been adopted as of October 2026. For enforcement generally, see market surveillance.
Related legislation
- Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 — applies in parallel to most outdoor equipment that is also machinery from 20 January 2027 (Directive 2006/42/EC until then).
- 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 — separate; ecodesign requirements apply only where a delegated act covers the product.
Common errors
- Missing noise label. The Annex IV noise label is mandatory in addition to the CE mark.
- Labelling the measured rather than the guaranteed sound power level. Under Article 3(f) the guaranteed level includes the uncertainties due to production variation and measurement procedures.
- Using the noise label in place of the CE mark. Both are required.
- Self-declaration for equipment subject to noise limit values. Equipment under Article 12 must follow Annex VI, VII or VIII, each of which involves a Notified Body. Annex V is available only for Article 13 equipment.
- Using the old Annex III. Since 22 May 2025 measurements follow Annex III as replaced by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1208.
Frequently asked questions
How many types of equipment does Directive 2000/14/EC cover?
Annex I defines 57 types. Article 12 has 22 entries subject to noise limits, and Article 13 lists the equipment subject to noise marking only. Some types appear in both, split by power source or subtype.
Does a chain saw or hedge trimmer have a noise limit?
No. Portable chain saws and hedge trimmers are in Article 13, so they need the guaranteed sound power level label and an EC declaration of conformity, but no limit value applies under this Directive.
Do I need a Notified Body?
For equipment in Article 12, yes: Annexes VI, VII and VIII all involve one. For equipment in Article 13, no: Annex V is internal control of production.
Do I still need to send my declaration of conformity to the Commission?
No. Directive (EU) 2024/2839 deleted Article 16, with effect from 29 November 2025. The EC declaration of conformity must still accompany the equipment.
Is the Directive being replaced?
Not as of October 2026. Annex III was updated in 2025, and the Commission has said this supports new noise limits, but we found no proposal for a replacement act.
Sources
- Directive 2000/14/EC (Outdoor Noise) — EUR-Lex consolidated text.
- Directive 2005/88/EC (amendment) — EUR-Lex.
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1208 (Annex III) — EUR-Lex.
- Directive (EU) 2024/2839 (deletion of Article 16) — EUR-Lex.
- Directive (EU) 2024/2749 (emergency procedures) — EUR-Lex.
- European Commission — Noise emission of outdoor equipment.
- European Commission — Environmental noise (DG ENV).
- Commission Notice — Blue Guide 2022 — EUR-Lex.